Virkisvík

Virkisvík cove is a beautiful place with colourful sediments, basalt formations and a waterfall that cascades over precipitous cliffs into the sea. 

The oldest known rock formations, above the sea, in Iceland are in Austurland and Westfjords. They are about 15-16 million years old, from the Miocene Tertiary era. 

The layers from that epoch are formed of lava flows with occasional sediment layers in between. Such layers, in thicker form, have long been research subjects, since they often include plant or animal remains which hold information about the climate when the layers formed. Two thick sediment layers can be found in Vopnafjörður. One in Virkisvík and the other at Bustarfell mountain.