Hjörleifshöfði Viking

South

A solitary 221-meter headland rising from the black sands of Mýrdalssandur, Hjörleifshöfði is where Iceland's saga history becomes tangible. Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson, foster brother of Iceland's first settler Ingólfur Arnarson, arrived in 874 AD and was killed here by his Irish thralls the following year. The thralls fled to the offshore islands — known ever since as Vestmannaeyjar — where Ingólfur later hunted them down. A burial mound near the summit, Hjörleifshaugur, is believed to hold his remains. The hike to the top and back runs roughly seven kilometers and takes two to three hours. The western face is the gentler approach. From the summit, views stretch over the black desert to glaciers and the sea. At the eastern base sits Gígjagjá — better known as Yoda Cave — a lava formation whose shape has made it a popular photo stop. Turn off Route 1 onto the gravel track signed for the headland. A parking fee applies (around 1,000 ISK). The hike itself is free and open year-round, though the access track can be soft after rain.

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