Vík í Mýrdal is a small hamlet on the southern shores of Iceland. Thanks to its location it is an important stopover
for travelers on the Ringroad.
Vik lies just below the Mýrdalsjökull glacier that covers Katla,
a dangerous active
volcano. When Katla erupts the only refuge for the locals is its church on higher ground or the cold ocean.
In 2010 the
Vik area got an unpleasant volcanic ash dusting from the eruption of the nearby Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
Typical
for Vik and its surroundings are the typical beaches of black basalt sand and pebbles. Do not expect any sunny beach weather
though as Vik receives more than 2 meters of annual rainfall.
For tourists the area's hotspots are the bird invested Reynisfjall
mountain and the volcanic peninsula Dyrhólaey.
