Vík í Mýrdal town
One of the most popular towns on the South Coast is, by far, Vík í Mýrdal. The little town on the southern coastline is also Iceland’s most inhabited town. You might probably know the picture of the village from the Netflix series “Katla”.
Vík í Mýrdal has a fascinating history and is quite different from the other coastal towns.
The thing that makes Vík í Mýrdal different is that it has no port.
The town of Vík was settled permanently in 1890 once the traders that used to come to the area continued to sell their products: vegetables, fruits, flour, salt and sugar.
The town became a commercial area, and after some time, five food stores and two slaughterhouses were opened.
Over time, Vík í Mýrdal became a small settlement where Icelandic farmers used to meet. In 1934, the Víkurkirkja Church was built, and from that point, Vík í Mýrdal gained its status as a village.
Víkurkirkja Church is located on a hill above the town; from there, the view over Vík is stunning. People say that in case of an eruption of the Katla volcano, the church will be the safest place because the waters from the Mýrdalsjökull glacier will flood the rest of the town.
The community in the town was tiny, and nowadays, it is no larger than approximately 300 people.
Vík í Mýrdal is a famous stop for tourists because of its location on the Ring Road and the area’s only larger settlement. The next town is about 70 km away from Vík. It is also the ending point for many day tours on the South Coast.
Vík í Mýrdal town is surrounded by well-known places such as Reynisfjall Tuff Mountain with the Reynisfjara black sand beach and Reynisdrangar on the west and south parts. Katla Volcano under the Mýrdalsjökull glacier is guarding the town on the northern part and the Myrdalur Cliffs to the east.
The area of the town also has rich wildlife, and during summer, you can spot arctic terns on the basalt cliffs of Reynisfjall and puffins on the Dyrholaey peninsula. Sometimes seals, dolphins or whales can be spotted in the waters around Vík.
As I mentioned, the town of Vík í Mýrdal is an essential and famous tourist stop as you can find important places to supply within Iceland. There is a gas station, a supermarket, Kronan, an alcoholic drink shop, Vínbúðin, a local clothing shop, Icewear, some restaurants, cafes and hotels.
Many activities can be done from Vík, such as Zip-line adventure, Paragliding, Ice Cave exploring, and Lava show.
