Hofn

Hofn sits on a spit at the mouth of Hornafjordur with Vatnajokull filling the horizon behind it, which gives the town an outlook few places can match on a clear day - the glacier and Oraefajokull are visible straight from the harbour. It is a fishing port, and langoustine has been its calling card for decades; restaurants build menus round it and the town holds a festival for it in early summer. Catches have varied sharply in recent years as stocks have fallen, so the dish is not always as available or as cheap as its reputation suggests. A glacier exhibition and the harbour front make up the rest of a stop.

History

Höfn was founded in 1897 by the merchant Ottó Tuliníus, who moved here a trading place set up in 1861 at Papós, 15 km to the north-west. It had 300 inhabitants in 1946, and an economic boom began after the bridge Hornafjarðarbrú was built in 1961 (Wikipedia, Höfn).

The main sights

• Vatnajokull from the harbour - the ice cap filling the northern view.
• A langoustine town - the dish the place is known for.
• A festival in early summer - built around the catch.
• A working fishing port - the town's actual business.

When to go

Year round; the festival is in early summer. Half a day.

Before you go

Langoustine stocks have fallen and prices have risen; menus sometimes serve imported product, which is worth asking about. The glacier view depends on cloud and is often absent. The town itself is functional rather than picturesque.

Nearby

Jokulsarlon is west along route 1; Eystrahorn and the eastern fjords are north.

Key facts