Our next stop was the Dyrholaey area. We drove up a winding road of switchbacks to the parking lot and were greeted with a fantastic view. Continuing along the path, we came to the Dyrholaey arch rock formation and the lighthouse. We could also see our next stop in the distance: Reynisfjara Beach.
Reynisfjara is a black sand beach with basalt column formations created from cooling lava. There were many tourists here, taking their photos along the columns. We walked along the beach to the east end, where it was less crowded. The ocean at this beach can be very dangerous with sneaker waves that have killed several people in the past. I shook my head at the tourists getting close to the water and stayed in the dry sand.
Afterwards, we drove on to the small town of Vik, where we checked into our hotel for the night, Hotel Vik i Myrdal. We walked down to a local brewery, Smidjan Brugghus, for dinner. It was busy, but there was one last table for two left. Here, you order after scanning a QR code on your phone, so I chose the chicken burger and an old fashioned to drink, while Mr. Strange opted for wings and a beer. This was one of the tastiest meals that I had!
After dinner, we headed back to the hotel. I monitored for the aurora, but clouds were rolling in, so no lights were seen.