Vik i Myrdal

Vik is the southernmost settlement on the Icelandic mainland, a few hundred people on a black beach below cliffs, and it is the service point for a long stretch of the south coast. Above it sits Myrdalsjokull with the Katla volcano beneath, whose eruptions send meltwater floods down towards the sea; the plan when Katla next goes is that residents go uphill to the church, which stands high enough to be above the expected flood, and evacuation drills are held. Reynisfjara and its columns are minutes west, Reynisdrangar stand off the beach in front, and the village has the shops, fuel and rooms that the coast lacks elsewhere.

What you actually see

• The southernmost village - a few hundred people below the cliffs.
• A church as the refuge - the assembly point when Katla erupts.
• Reynisdrangar offshore - the stacks in front of the beach.
• A service point on a long coast - fuel, shops and rooms.

When to go

Year round; the village works as a base in any season. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The beaches here kill people - sneaker waves at Reynisfjara have caused deaths and the warnings are not decoration. The village fills with coaches midday. Accommodation prices are high for what they are. Weather is wetter here than most of the country.

Nearby

Reynisfjara and Dyrholaey are west; Hjorleifshofdi is east on the sands.