Víkurfjara, Black sand beach in Vík, Iceland.
Víkurfjara features dark volcanic sand formed from cooled lava and powerful Atlantic waves that create a striking coastal landscape along Iceland's southern shore.
The beach's black sand formed over centuries from volcanic eruptions, particularly from the nearby Katla volcano, whose lava flows cooled rapidly and fragmented into fine grains.
Local folklore links the offshore Reynisdrangar sea stacks to tales of trolls who turned to stone at sunrise while attempting to drag ships ashore from the ocean.
Visitors must maintain a safe distance from the water due to unpredictable sneaker waves that surge suddenly onto the shore and have caused serious accidents in the past.
The beach serves as a nesting habitat for puffins during summer months, and seals can often be spotted along the shoreline near the volcanic rock formations.
Location: Vik
Address: CX7Q+PR4, Vik, Iceland Vik
GPS coordinates: 63.41323,-19.01412
Latest update: November 28, 2025 18:00
This collection presents locations in the polar and subpolar regions of the Northern Hemisphere where aurora borealis can be observed. The sites included lie within the auroral zone, where geomagnetic activity regularly produces natural light displays in the night sky. The list encompasses various landscape types, including national parks, geothermal areas, mountains, islands, fjords, and arctic territories. In Iceland, Þingvellir National Park offers a tectonic rift valley setting for aurora viewing, while the black sand beaches of Vík and the geothermal zone of Mývatn provide different natural backdrops. Mount Kirkjufell near Grundarfjörður is frequently photographed with northern lights overhead. In Scandinavia, the auroral zones of Tromsø and Kiruna, the Lofoten Islands, North Cape, Abisko National Park, and arctic stations in Finland such as Kakslauttanen, Levi, and Rovaniemi provide access to viewing areas at varying latitudes. North America contributes the Fairbanks area in Alaska and Denali National Park to this collection. Greenland offers observation points from the ice sheet near Kangerlussuaq and the fjord region around Nuuk. These locations span latitudes between 60 and 70 degrees north, where auroral displays occur most frequently during the dark months.
Reynisdrangar
1.8 km
Reynisfjall
2.7 km
Black sand beach
2.9 km
Hálsanefshellir cave
1.9 km
Vík í Mýrdal Church
987 m
Installation artwork, Work of art
776 m
Vik Church
966 m
Skaftfellingur
448 m
Reynisfjara
1.8 km
Icelandic Lava Show
608 m
Katlatrack
752 m
Black Beach Riding Tours
962 m
Voyage
477 m
Work of art
596 m
Baðstofuhellir
2.1 km
Work of art
840 m
Víkurvöllur í Mýrdal
1.9 km
Scenic viewpoint
968 m
Scenic viewpoint
1.1 km
Scenic viewpoint
532 m
Hatta
3.1 km
Svarta ströndin í Vík í Mýrdal
223 m
Uxafótafoss
3.4 km
Waterfall
3.4 km
Waterfall
3.5 km
Waterfall
1.2 km
Biniöfoss
3.5 km
Waterfall
3.5 kmReviews
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