Budakirkja is a small black wooden church at Búðir, on the south side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. A parish church has stood on the site since 1703, and the building standing today was put up in 1848. It sits on its own at the edge of the Búðahraun lava field, with mountains behind it and the sea a short way beyond. Most people come for the setting rather than the interior, which is often locked. Coach tours stop here.
Budakirkja Church
Local name: Búðakirkja
The church is black because black paint weatherproofed the timber, not for any religious reason.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible spaces in the car park by the church.
- Parking
- Free car park 38 m from the church, asphalt surface, with wheelchair-accessible spaces. A second car park 141 m away is for customers only.
- Transport
- No bus stop within 5 km. Access is by car.
- Address
- 356 Búðir
What makes it special
A parish church has stood at Búðir since 1703. The building here now went up in 1848: black-painted timber, and tiny. The black is weatherproofing rather than a religious choice.
It stands alone at the edge of the Búðahraun lava field. From the churchyard the view runs across the lava to the mountains and out towards Snæfellsjökull. Sheep graze on the rough ground around it. The coast and a beach lie a walk further on, and that walk is the better half of the stop.
Coach tours stop here as a matter of course, so the church is not often alone in the landscape.
Good to know
- Do not count on getting inside. The door was found locked on visits in 2026. Plan for the exterior and treat the interior as a bonus.
- No toilets at the church. The restroom at Hótel Búðir, right next to it, charges anyone who is not staying there.
- Coach tours stop here. The church is tiny, and one group takes up both the frame and the ground around it.
- Allow more than a photo stop. Walking down to the coast and the beach adds 20–40 minutes.
Getting there
No bus serves Búðir, so visitors arrive by car. The car park is beside the church and the walk in from it is short. A signboard at the same spot marks the footpaths through the Búðahraun lava field. The coast and the beach are a further walk down from the church, and Hótel Búðir stands close enough to combine the two stops on foot.
Best time to visit
Best: a clear day. The reason to stop is the black church against the lava field, the mountains and the glacier, and low cloud takes all of that away.
Avoid: the moment a coach pulls in. Tour buses stop here, and the church is small enough that one group fills the whole scene.
The interior is often locked, so the weather outside decides the visit more than anything else does.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
Can you go inside Budakirkja?
Not dependably. The door was found locked on visits in 2026. Plan the stop around the exterior and the surroundings.Why is the church black?
The black paint weatherproofs the timber. It carries no religious meaning.How old is the church?
A parish church was first established at Búðir in 1703. The black timber building standing today was built in 1848.Are there toilets?
Not at the church. Hótel Búðir next door has a restroom, and it charges people who are not staying at the hotel.Is there anything to do beyond the church itself?
Yes. Footpaths run through the Búðahraun lava field from a signboard by the car park, and the coast and beach are a walk away. Reckon on 20–40 minutes more than the church needs.