NatureInterest 3/5
Höfði
Höfði is a wooded, park-like promontory on the eastern shore of Lake Mývatn, planted with trees and threaded with easy paths to viewpoints over the lake's coves, islands, and the neighbouring Kálfastrandarvogur bay. The bay is known for its unusual lava pillars, Klasar and Kálfastrandarstrípar, rising from the water just offshore.
Region
North Iceland
Coordinates
65.5784° N, 16.9552° W
Plan the stop
- Allow
- 1 hr
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · Partial
- Several paths near the entrance are relatively flat gravel, though the wider network of forest paths includes roots, slopes, and uneven ground.
- Limited mobility · Partial
- Short sections closest to the car park are manageable, but the fuller loop through the trees and along the shore is uneven in places.
- Sensory · Full
- A calm, shaded, forested walk with birdsong and lake views; generally much quieter than Mývatn's major geological sites.
- Cognitive · Full
- Simple, well-marked paths make this an easy, low-stress walk for most visitors.
Why it matters
Höfði was planted and landscaped privately in the 20th century and later opened to the public as a quiet, forested contrast to the region's raw volcanic sites, and it remains a favoured spot for birdwatchers thanks to its calm coves.