[Photos taken 27 July 2025, posted online 11 July 2026. Lots of rain lately, and more on the way, as summer vacation draws near.]
After a couple of fantastic days, it was time to drive back home. We decided to make a long day of it, and stopped by Reynisfjara (on the other side of the ridge by Vík í Mýrdal), before driving over to Dyrhólaey (Door-hill-island) and walking around for a bit. We drove onwards, stopped at Kvernufoss, which is next to Skógafoss, the big waterfall), and then a little ways further for a bite to eat. We attempted to play frisbee disc golf in Hveragerði, but gave up due to too many flies. We arrived back in the city around dinner-time, happy after a lovely trip!
Sunday 27 July 2025
The group by the basalt columns of Reynisfjara, as photoed by a friendly tourist. When this is written, a whole year later, that section of the rocks are no longer accessible, as an unusually strident and single-direction current this past winter moved the sand we were standing on away from the area, further west.
We awoke to an absolutely gorgeous day in Vík!
The cars packed up and time to get going!
En route to Reynisfjara you seen the glacier clearly. It’s only a 12 minute drive.
We parked by Reynisfjara around 10:30 in the morning. Nowadays you have to pay for all parking everywhere. It sparks limited amounts of joy.
A considerable amount of infrastructure has been added in recent years, as Reynisfjara became a must-do stop for tourist buses. However, the service center wasn’t open when we arrived, although you could see staff prepping inside.
The parking lot is pretty big, but it wasn’t too busy.
After that horrible accident, much was again made of the fact that nobody looks at the warning signs, and it didn’t help that the second sign, the map previously on the right of this sign with the status lights, denoting which areas were safe during which lights, had been swept out to sea in some storm. On this lovely day, the danger-level was yellow, which technically means nobody should have gone on the beach on southern facing side.
Last signage before entering the beach, which looked lovely.
The same rock formations you can see from the other side (the Vík side), but they appear to be fewer in numbers, as some of them block out others.
Dyrhólaey (the Door-hill-isle) was visible off in the distance, on the other end of this long beach.
Animated gif (wait for it to load). Was I nervous seeing all the people walking right by the sea’s edge? Yes, yes I was.
The basal columns on the western side are popular for photographers, and just to rest weary bones.
The side facing south was easily accessible. A year later, and sand-erosion has made it inaccessible on foot.
This south-facing cave is always a marvel to enter (but is now inaccessible).
It’s hard to take a coherent photo in there, but if you look up, it’s just all basalt columns.
The ceiling of columns.
Yours truly posing on a column.
Us as a group tut-tutting over all the tourists frolicking down by the shore.
After hanging out for a half an hour or so, we headed back to the cars and drove a little ways further.
Approaching the other end of the beach, Dyrhólaey. It rises out of the ground, and used to be surrounded by ocean back in the olden days.
We parked at the lower parking lot, and were just going to look around for a bit. Then, seeing the nice path, and wanting to be outside some more, most of the group decided to hike all the way up to the lighthouse.
Yummy berry time!
The rocky pillars by Reynisfjara visible off in the distance.
The weather kept being amazing.
The friendly path soon turned into the long stone stairway.
Remembering to look backwards, and being mesmerized by the waves, and patterns on the sand.
Animated gif (wait for it to load) of the waves crashing onto the beach below.
There were lots of little signs warning people that there was a chance to fall to one’s death.
The lighthouse coming into view.
A fancy concrete fence!
The concrete pillars go all around!
Yet another tiny sign.
Yay for cell phone reception!
It took about 40 minutes to make my way up the hill, with copious amounts of time spent taking photographs.
Not entirely wheelchair accessible…
The “door” in Dyrhólaey.
The beach keeps going on the western side. You can also see a glacier up to the right.
A very square lighthouse.
Getting to the cliff is somewhat wheelchair accessible.
So many people seem enamored with standing on edges of cliffs!
Don’t trip over that chain!
“Beware! Nesting area, do not walk off the path.”
Trying not to freak out over all the edge-dwellers.
A bus stop?
A map.
Information!
I decided to walk up towards the tallest point.
A glacier hiding a volcano.
The parking lot (if you pay for one up on the hill, it also works for the other one further below), and the lighthouse.
One last look at the pillars far away. That natural “bridge” of sand seems a little thin and fragile seen from above.
Cars ferried us down the hill, and we sat down for a small snack.
