In 1991, the American journal Islands Magazine counted the black sand beach of Vik, Iceland as one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beaches on Earth. It’s easy to see why! Vik is Iceland’s southernmost village and faces the open Atlantic Ocean, framed by a long black volcanic sand beach. Nearby the spindly Reynisdrangar rock formations stick out of the sea, and as the legend goes, were formed when trolls attempted to drag three ships ashore.
The village of Vik under the Pétursey, Hjörleifshöfði and Hafursey mountains
The mountains of Pétursey, Hjörleifshöfði and Hafursey stand towering over the village of just 450. Beautiful, but dangerous. Vik lies directly under the Myrdalsjokull glacier, which itself sits atop the volcano Katla. Katla last erupted in 1918 and speculation is that a big eruption is brewing, which would be way more powerful than the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajokull. The eruption could melt enough of the glacier to trigger a flash flood, obliterating the village. The village church, high up on a hill, is believed to be the only building that would survive the flood.
We stopped briefly in Vik on the first leg of our drive around Iceland’s Ring Road on our way from Reykjavik to Hornafjörður. (It’s one of the few service stations between Skógar and Skaftafell.) The sun had just come up as it rises quite late in winter and the entire island seemed to be asleep after New Year’s Eve festivities the night before. Tim was snapping away as the sea of blue, pink, orange, and purple swirled in the sky above the crashing waves of the Atlantic. Black and gray oval rocks dotted the black sand beach and I picked one up, sketching out Jdomb’s Travels in the sand just a few feet above where the frothy water ran ashore.
Run!
A narrow escape
Tim had just snapped a few pictures of my sand sketch when I heard him shout “Run!” The waves had suddenly become more powerful and I laughed as I tried to sprint out of the crashing waves and foamy water. Tim laughed too, snapping pictures as I made my narrow escape from being soaked! (And in case you’re wondering, my Moon Boots proved to be waterproof.)
Sadly, my sand sketch was washed away with the retreating waves before we could get a picture together. But the beach was a great way to spend a bit of time!
Know Before You Go
- Vik is the last service station between Skógar and Skaftafell, so stop for gas here. The gas station is a self-service pump that accepts credit cards only and a Pin is required.
- There is also a small tourist information center and cafe. An Icelandic hot dog is a great snack if the cafe is open!
- The Wool Center is worth a visit and features a second level balcony where you can see women hand-knitting Icelandic sweaters.
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Jennifer Dombrowski
Jennifer Dombrowski is a location independent globe trotter and bases herself in Prata di Pordenone, Italy. She works as a social media and innovation strategist in higher education and is a regular contributor on johnnyjet.com. Her website, jdombstravels.com, is the 2012 Destinology Travel Bloggy Best Newcomer award winner. Google+
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We’re Jennifer and Tim and we love traveling! We are just one ordinary couple who have found that travel brought us closer together, taught us patience, the art of compromise, and how to truly appreciate the diversity of this extraordinary world. So far, we've visited 37 countries, lived in the United States and Italy, and Tim has lived in Korea. And we do it all while both holding down full time jobs. 
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10 comments
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Cathy Sweeney
January 29, 2013 at 1:01 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Love the jdombstravels branding on the beach! Gorgeous black sand. I saw a black sand beach in Hawaii. Beautiful. Looks like you were having lots of fun, too.
Cathy Sweeney recently posted..When is Tequila Not Tequila?
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 29th, 2013 at 4:42 pm
Thanks, Cathy! We were having lots of fun. It’s too bad we had such limited hours of daylight, otherwise we definitely could have spent a few more hours on that beach.
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Katie Coakley
January 29, 2013 at 7:42 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Great sand sketch! I was just in Vik in November–I really enjoyed the area; I just wish I had a bit more sunlight during the day. Beautiful photos!
Katie Coakley recently posted..Underwater, Underground: Turning Black and Blue in Iceland
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 29th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
We were in Iceland in September 2011 also and stopped for gas, a browse around the Wool Factory, and a hot dog at the information center. But we somehow skipped the beach. I too wish we would have had longer, but with such sort days, we had to move on.
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Alid Abdul
January 31, 2013 at 4:20 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Most people looking for white sand beach, but this black sand quite amazing. Thanks for sharing
Alid Abdul recently posted..Migrasi ke Teknologi Baru, Kenapa Takut?
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 31st, 2013 at 7:03 pm
Thanks, Alid! Yes, definitely a beautiful beach and worthy of a visit when in Iceland.
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Ali
January 31, 2013 at 6:42 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Looks like a gorgeous beach! Does it get warm enough in summer to go swimming?
Andy and I wrote our blog names in sand at Tunnel Beach in New Zealand too, fun times!
Ali recently posted..Is “What If” Stopping You From Traveling?
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
January 31st, 2013 at 7:05 pm
It may get warm enough to lay out on the beach, but the Atlantic Ocean doesn’t get warm enough this far north for swimming anytime of the year. Unless you’re planning to take a polar plunge!
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Petite Adventures
February 1, 2013 at 9:30 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
So cool – I’m definitely adding this to my list of must-sees for my Iceland trip next year!
Kate xo petite-adventures.blogspot.ca
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
February 1st, 2013 at 11:15 pm
Vik is a great stop, Kate! It should definitely go on your must-see list for visiting Iceland. Glad to hear you’re planning a trip there!
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