South Coast of Iceland (Vík)
Using the town of Vík as a base, you can visit waterfalls you can walk behind, Skógafoss, black-sand beaches with basalt columns, and Sólheimajökull glacier.
The South Coast of Iceland refers to the stretch of coast along Route 1 from Hvolsvöllur east through Vík to Kirkjubæjarklaustur. Backed by the Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull ice caps and facing the North Atlantic, it is Iceland's densest concentration of waterfalls, glaciers and black-sand beaches. Using Vík, the southernmost village on mainland Iceland, as a base, the western side has Seljalandsfoss, Skógafoss, Kvernufoss and the Skógar Museum; the middle section holds Sólheimajökull glacier, the plane wreck and Dyrhólaey promontory; near Vík are Reynisfjara black-sand beach and the Katla ice cave; and to the east are the Laufskálavarða cairns, the lava moss fields and Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. Heimaey and the Þórsmörk valley deserve an extra day. We suggest staying 2–3 nights around Vík or Skógar. Summer's long days allow glacier hiking, puffin watching and highland trips; in winter you can see the aurora and ice caves, but strong storms and road closures are frequent. Getting around is mainly by self-drive: Reykjavík to Vík takes about 2.5 hours, and many day tours and buses are also available. Notes: sneaker waves at Reynisfjara black-sand beach have caused multiple deaths, so stay well away from the waterline; glaciers and ice caves may only be visited with a certified guide; ordinary rental cars are prohibited on highland roads. Check road.is for road conditions and safetravel.is for warnings before setting out.
Top sights
- Seljalandsfoss – A 60-meter waterfall beside Route 1. The cliff is hollowed out so that a circular path leads behind the curtain of water, where you can wat…
- Skógafoss – The most spectacular waterfall on the south coast, 25 meters wide with a 60-meter drop. On sunny days a single or even double rainbow often…
- Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach – Iceland's most famous black sand beach, with basalt column caves and three "troll rock stacks" in the sea. It is also a filming location fo…
- Sólheimajökull Glacier – A glacier tongue extending from the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, only a few kilometers from Route 1. It is Iceland's most convenient spot for gla…
- Dyrhólaey – A 120-meter-high headland west of Vík, with a huge sea arch and a lighthouse, offering views over the black sand beach and the Reynisfjara…
- Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon – A winding canyon about 100 meters deep and 2 kilometers long, where moss-covered cliffs and a stream form one of Iceland's most dreamlike c…
- Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck – The wreck of a US military DC-3 transport plane that made an emergency landing on the black sand plain in 1973. It has a haunting, end-of-t…
- Katla Ice Cave (Kötlujökull) – An ice cave in the glacier beneath the Katla volcano, with ice streaked by black volcanic ash. From Vík, a super jeep ride of about half an…
- Kvernufoss – A hidden waterfall beside Skógafoss, about 30 meters tall, where you can walk behind the falls. It draws far fewer visitors than Skógafoss.
- Skógar Museum – One of Iceland's best folk museums, with a turf-house village, an old church, and a transport and technology hall that show traditional way…
- Seljavallalaug – An open-air pool built in a valley in 1923, surrounded by the mountains at the foot of the Eyjafjallajökull ice cap, with a wild, rugged at…
- Vík í Mýrdal & Víkurkirkja – The southernmost town on Iceland's main island. A small red-roofed, white-walled church on the hillside overlooks the Reynisdrangar sea sta…
- Icelandic Lava Show – Watch real lava indoors in Vík: molten rock at about 1,100°C is poured into the exhibition hall, letting you feel the heat up close.
- Hjörleifshöfði & Yoda Cave – A 221-meter hill standing alone on the black sand plain. At its base, Gígjagjá cave is nicknamed Yoda Cave because its opening resembles th…
- Þórsmörk – A highland valley ringed by three glaciers, where birch woods, glacial rivers, and volcanic landscapes come together. It is one of Iceland'…
- Fimmvörðuháls Trail – A classic day hike from Skógafoss over the pass between two ice caps to Þórsmörk, passing the new craters formed in 2010.
- LAVA Centre – An interactive volcano and earthquake exhibition in Hvolsvöllur that uses multimedia to explain Iceland's volcanoes, earthquakes, and plate…
- Nauthúsagil Ravine – A narrow ravine beside the road to Þórsmörk. You enter by stepping on stones and sometimes wading. At the end is a hidden waterfall and a s…
- Eldhraun Lava Field – A vast lava field formed by the 1783 Laki eruption, covered in thick grey-green moss, with Route 1 running straight across it.
- Laufskálavarða – A lava hill dotted with small cairns beside Route 1. Tradition holds that travelers passing for the first time should add a stone for a saf…
- Systrafoss & Kirkjubæjarklaustur – A twin waterfall on the cliff behind the town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur, named after a medieval convent legend. You can climb to the clifftop…
- Kirkjugólf – A flat surface of hexagonal basalt column tops beside Kirkjubæjarklaustur, looking like tiled church flooring but formed naturally.
- Keldur Turf Farm – One of Iceland's best-preserved old turf farms, with some buildings dating back to the Middle Ages and connected to the sagas.
- Landmannalaugar – Multicolored rhyolite mountains in the Icelandic Highlands, with pink, yellow, and green slopes, obsidian lava, and wild hot-spring streams…
Where to eat
- Suður-Vík Restaurant – A long-standing restaurant in an old house on the hillside above Vík. Its Arctic char and signature burger have consist…
- Black Crust Pizzeria – A pizzeria whose crusts are jet black thanks to bamboo charcoal dough, echoing the black sand beaches. It became popula…
- Smiðjan Brugghús – Vík's first craft brewery, with ten house-brewed draft beers, burgers and onion rings in a lively atmosphere.
- Halldórskaffi – A restaurant in an 1831 trading house serving lamb soup, Arctic char and other traditional Icelandic dishes.
- The Soup Company – A family-run soup shop whose signature Lava Soup is served in a black bread bowl, with a free refill on your second bow…
Itineraries
- Classic Iceland Ring Road – Drive counter-clockwise around the Ring Road, connecting the Golden Circle, South Coast glaciers, East Fjords, Lake Mýv…
- Grand Iceland Ring Road & Westfjords Self-Drive – Add the Westfjords to the classic Ring Road, using the Baldur ferry to connect back to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
- Winter Iceland Aurora & Blue Ice Cave Self-Drive – Explore the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Golden Circle, and South Coast in winter, culminating in the Blue Ice Cave at the Gl…
- Golden Circle, South Coast & Puffin Island – Take a short holiday to explore the Golden Circle and South Coast, then take a ferry to the Westman Islands to see volc…
- Iceland South Coast & Faroe Islands – Explore Reykjavik and the South Coast of Iceland, then fly to the Faroes for waterfalls, puffins, and turf-roofed villa…
- Laugavegur to Fimmvörðuháls Hike – A summer hike through colorful highlands to Þórsmörk, then over Fimmvörðuháls down to Skógar.