We spent today visiting a couple of the coastal locations around Vik. First we went to Reynisfjara beach, which is a black beach east of Vik. From the beach there are views of the Reynisfjara Pinnacles, which are also in view from Vik. There is also cliffside cave surrounded by basalt columns. At low tide it is possible to get fairly close to the pinnacles, but there are numerous warning signs about the dangers of the beach, and it is easy to get cut off by the rising tide, so we stayed on the beach side of the cliffs. The weather was mostly overcast meaning the pinnacles were very dark, so not the best light for photography.
Also in view from Reynisfjara beach is the peninsula of Dryholaey, which was our next destination. This is a large cliff headland through which the sea has carved an arch. The headland is a nature reserve due to the large number of puffins and other sea birds that nest here in the summer. In winter though, the main attractions are the waves that crash against the cliffs and the views back over Reynisfjara black beach towards the pinnacles in the distance. There is a single isolated pinnacle on the beach close to Dryholaey itself.
We had planned to take some pictures of Vik Church in the late afternoon, however by the time we returned to Vik the weather had once again closed in, so we visited the church early the following morning before departing for Reykjavik. As the church is in an elevated position, it provides wonderful views over the Reynisfjara Pinnacles, where we could see masses of sea birds flying out to sea, and there are also impressive views of the cliffs behind the church.
