Höfði


One of the area’s gentlest landscapes is on the forested lava headland at Höfði. Wildflowers, birch and spruce trees cover the bluffs, while the tiny islands and crystal-clear waters attract migratory birds.

From footpaths along the shore you’ll see small caves and stunning klasar (lava pillars), the most famous of which rise from the water at Kálfaströnd on the southern shore of the Höfði Peninsula. The peninsula is another Game of Thrones shooting location.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Dimmuborgir

1.45 MILES

The giant jagged lava field at Dimmuborgir (literally ‘Dark Castles’) is one of the most fascinating flows in the country. A series of nontaxing, colour…

2. Skútustaðagígar

2.44 MILES

The Skútustaðagígar pseudocraters were formed when molten lava flowed into Mývatn lake, triggering a series of gas explosions. These dramatic green…

3. Hverfjall

2.75 MILES

Dominating the lava fields on the eastern edge of Mývatn is the classic tephra ring Hverfjall (also called Hverfell). This near-symmetrical crater…

4. Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum

3.67 MILES

For superb birdwatching background, visit Sigurgeir’s Bird Museum, housed in a beautiful lakeside building that fuses modern design with traditional turf…

5. Grjótagjá

3.86 MILES

Game of Thrones fans may recognise this as the place where Jon Snow is, ahem, deflowered by Ygritte. Grjótagjá is a gaping fissure with a 45°C water…

6. Stóragjá

4.34 MILES

Signposted about 100m beyond Reykjahlíð is Stóragjá, a rather eerie fissure (slightly tricky to access) that was once a popular bathing spot. Cooling…

7. Eldhraun

4.74 MILES

The lava field along Mývatn’s northern lakeshore includes the flow that nearly engulfed the Reykjahlíð Church. It was belched out of Leirhnjúkur during…

8. Reykjahlíð Church

4.76 MILES

During the Krafla eruption of 1727, the Leirhnjúkur crater, 11km northeast of Reykjahlíð, kicked off a two-year period of volcanic activity, sending…