Vikurfjara Black Sand Beach

Underfoot this is not sand at all. It is black gravel, the granules rounded and polished by the surf, and it crunches rather than gives. The shore faces the open Atlantic and the wind rarely lets up. Waves run in hard and far up the beach.

A rock column stands out of the water offshore, visible from the gravel on a clear day, and there is a cave at the beach itself. In early 2026 a landslide changed the ground here, and work to strengthen the structures followed, so the shoreline no longer matches older photographs. In summer the beach doubles as a picnic spot; at sunset the light comes in low across black ground and white surf.

• Toilets — There are toilets at the beach.
• Wind — The shore is open to the Atlantic and the wind rarely drops. Bring a windproof layer, in summer as well.
• Underfoot — The gravel is loose and slow to walk on, and it drags at pushchair wheels.
• After the landslide — A landslide in early 2026 reshaped part of the shore, and reinforcement work followed. The ground differs from older photographs.
• Warming up — A café and restaurant stand near the beach, worth knowing after the wind and rain.

The beach lies on the seaward edge of Vík í Mýrdal, and most people drive to it. A car park sits right by the beach, with an overflow lot that takes the busier days. From the car park it is a couple of minutes on foot out onto the gravel.

Better: early morning, or after 15.00.

Avoid: 11.00 to 15.00.

The beach and its car park fill up in the middle of the day. Sunset works well here, with the light low across black ground and breaking surf. Summer brings picnic weather, though the wind off the water stays cold.