Reykjavík Grapevine - Jan 2019, Page 50

TOWN GUIDE
Vík í Mýrdal
Words: Mark Asch and Mulan Photos : Art Bicnick
Vík í Mýrdal, the southernmost
town in Iceland, is a popular stop
on South Coast road trips. It’s a re-
gional service hub in a breathtak-
ing location. A majestic mountain
pass, with wheeling birds on the
crags overhead, leads you down to
a tiny settlement spread out on ei-
ther side of the Ring Road, hemmed
in by high cliffs and overlooked by
an iconic church.
Stay: Icelandair Hotel,
HI Hostel or Hotel Kría
The local outpost of the Icelandair
Hotel chain has a massive beach-
facing complex including cabins
and luxury rooms, but the town’s
affordable and Hosteling Interna-
tional-affiliated guesthouse also
features impressive views, set back
as it is from the town and overlook-
ing the ocean. The upmarket Hótel
Kría has 72 rooms, a suite, and a
nice restaurant serving local pro-
duce.
Eat: Víkurskáli &
Halldórskaffi
Maybe your idea of what consti-
tutes an “authentic” meal in Ice-
land doesn’t involve eating a fish
burger and fries at a gas station.
But maybe… get over yourself? The
grill in back of the N1 convenience
store does a Filet-O-Fish style sand-
wich, with crunchy fresh veg and
fries. It’s satisfying in a primal
way, and the dining room’s view
of the black sand beach is casually
beautiful. If you’re in town for a
couple of days, the nearby Halldór-
skaffi is a nice sit-down place, too.
See: Reynisfjara
Reynisfjara is an Instagram-
friendly beach backed by sheer
basalt columns. The sea arch at
the Dyrhólaey bird preserve is off
to the east, and right offshore are
the Reynisdrangar sea stacks (by
legend, a petrified troll that was
caught out in the sun attempting
to drag a ship back to its cave).
Watch the waves from a safe
distance and heed the warnings
posted along the beach. Reynis-
fjara is known for sleeper waves
and a very strong undertow.
Experience: Ziplining
Vík’s adrenaline-boosting zipline
takes you across the Grafargil can-
yon. After a five minute drive and
a short hike led by an expert, you’ll
arrive at the launch platform.
There are three different jumps
to get your heart pumping as you
fly over various canyons and the
Hundafoss waterfall. This ad-
venturous activity is available all
year round and takes roughly two
hours—book at www.zipline.is
Visit:
Icelandic Lava Show
The Icelandic Lava Show offers
an impressive live simulation of
a volcanic eruption. Mesmerised
by the 2010 Fimmvörðuháls erup-
tion, the founders of the show,
Július and Ragnhildur, wanted to
recreate the experience for people
who can’t wait around for the real
thing. As well as hot running lava
flowing before your eyes, you’ll see
an animated short about the area’s
volcanic history.
Shop:
IceWear/Víkurprjón
At the massive-for-the-Icelandic-
countryside Vík Wool outlet, you
can kit yourself out in familiar Nor-
dic outerwear, and find traces of the
more ramshackle operation that
occupied this space up until a few
years ago. When you sift through
the hand-made lopapeysur, check
for the card identifying who knitted
the sweater, and where; and when
you go up to the balcony, have a
look down into the factory where
the itchy magic happens.
Visit: Skaftfellingur
Museum
The Skaftfelligur is a storied ship
that now rests in the maritime mu-
seum of Vík. Commissioned in 1917,
the vessel was built to transport
fish from Iceland; during the Sec-
ond World War, it rescued the crew
of a German submarine, and trans-
ported goods between Iceland and
the UK. The museum tells many
more tales of the ship’s odyssey.
Travel Distance from Reykjavík: 180km How to get there: Route One southAccommodation provided by: Vík HI Hostel - hostel.is
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Þingholtsstræti 5 • 101 Reykjavík
Tel. 568 6600 • sushisocial.is
Our kitchen is open
17.00–23.00 sun.–thu.
17.00–24.00 fri.–sat.
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