Ingolfshofdi

Ingolfshofdi is a low headland standing about 76 metres out of the black sands south of Oraefi, cut off from the road by tidal flats that cannot be driven or safely walked. Visits are made on a wagon towed behind a tractor from the farm, a crossing of half an hour or so, and then on foot up the sand slope to the top. The reserve holds puffins in burrows on the edges, great skuas nesting on the flat, and guillemots and razorbills on the cliffs. The name comes from Ingolfur Arnarson, recorded as the first Norse settler in Iceland, who is said to have spent his first winter here before going on to Reykjavik.

The landscape

• A headland cut off by tidal sand - no road, no safe walking route.
• A tractor and hay wagon - the only way across.
• Puffins, skuas and cliff birds - the reserve's summer colonies.
• The first settler's winter - the tradition that gives the place its name.

When to go

Mid-May to early August, while the birds are present and the tours run. Half a day.

Practical notes

There is no independent access and the sands are dangerous - people have got into serious trouble trying. Tours run only in the season and cancel for weather and tides. Great skuas dive at heads near their nests. Facilities are none once you leave the farm.

Nearby

Fjallsarlon is east; Skaftafell is inland to the west.

Key facts