Contemporary looking hotel surrounded by dramatic nature on Iceland’s south coast

Black Beach Suites / Vik / Su∂urland / Iceland

Iceland is a surreal place with so much to see and experience. What I recommend when visiting is to find a base in a strategic location and use that as your starting point when exploring the region. Or if you are doing a big roadtrip and you are picky about where you are staying (of course you are, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this blog post), even if it is only for one night. Regardless, which one of these groups you belong to, when you need a good place to stay on the south coast, here is a good recommendation, Black Beach Suites.

Black Beach Suites are basically spacious studio apartments sitting on a gentle slope, just above the famous Black Beach. The location of the hotel is high enough to offer some great views of the roaring Atlantic (unless, like when we arrived in the middle of a wild snow storm where we couldn’t even see the next building). If you look in the other direction, you’ll have mountains and glaciers. The main one is Mýrdalsjökul and the smaller one next to it is the infamous Eyjafjallajökull. When the volcano underneath the glacier erupted back in 2010, it resulted in a massive ash cloud that put a halt to all European flight traffic for weeks.

Our suite had a contemporary design with terrazzo bathroom, a sleek black kitchen (a nice nod to the Black Beach) and elegant, modern furniture. The suite came with a fully equipped kitchenette which is perfect if you want to cook your own dinner instead of eating out. If you do want to venture out, the best options are in nearby village of Vik, which is a short drive away.

The massive Mýrdalsjökul glacier, which is the background to the Black Beach Suites. A spectacular drive when traveling to the hotel.

Our suite with the statement black kitchenette.

Our cosy bed. We wanted to crawl in directly upon arrival after escaping a wild snow storm.

The view from our suite, just as the storm started to pull back.

And here is the view the next morning when the snow storm had moved out over the Atlantic.

One thing that must not be missed when staying here is to go down to the Black Beach.

A short drive from the hotel you’ll find this place which is one of my favorite baths on the island. It is called Seljavallalaug and you’ll find it at the end of a dirt road and a hike, deeper into the valley.

This swimming pool was built in 1923 and is one of the oldest pools in the country. The water is not as warm as it used to be, but that didn’t stop me from going in, albeit with a hat on.

Since we love baked goods (and our friends that we travelled with, Jack and Tanja, love it even more) we are always on the look out for great bakeries. Close to the hotel (and the bath mentioned above), you’ll find this place, Faxi Bakery. You can see the commitment and determination in Tanja and Magnus as they enter.

At Faxi Bakery there is an amazing selection of cakes, pies, buns and cookies. It was oh so difficult to choose what to have.

In the end, these buns were calling my name. And I had to answer. By eating one.

If baked goods is important, coffee is actually even more important. And the coffee they serve at Faxi was just as good as the buns.

Around the corner from the bakery is another one of the most popular sights in this area, the marvelous Seljalandsfoss.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…are looking for a place to stay on the south coast of Iceland. If you appreciate a contemporary apartment hotel, just above the scenic Black Beach, this is your place.

My favorite thing about this place…

…is to stay in a hotel with great comfort in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the most magnificent natural scenery where you have the roaring Atlantic in one direction and massive glaciers in the other. A great place t experience the natural wonders of this magical island.

What not to miss when staying here…

…is to get up early and go down to the beach before the tourist buses start to arrive. It is magical to have the beach all to yourself and take in the natural wonder of this amazing site. And to go for a dip in the Seljavallalaug thermal bath followed by a bun-and-coffee-stop at nearby Faxi Bakery.

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