Hoburgen

Hoburgen is the southernmost point of Gotland, a headland of reef limestone dropping to the sea, a lighthouse station since 1846, with a 22-metre tower on top. Below it stands Hoburgsgubben, after whom an asteroid is named, a rauk whose weathered profile is read as a bearded old man looking out to sea, and the folklore around him is well established - offerings left, and the story that he takes offence at insults. The cliffs and the ground above hold a specialised limestone flora, and the point is a good place to watch seabird movement. Caves cut into the cliff base can be reached at low water. The old lighthouse keeper's buildings are used seasonally.

The landscape

• A reef limestone headland - at the island's south end.
• Hoburgsgubben - the rauk read as an old man's face.
• A light station since 1846 - with a 22-metre tower on the headland.
• Caves at the cliff base - reachable at low water.

When to go

May to September. Two hours.

Good to know

Cliff edges are unfenced in places and the rock is friable. Facilities are seasonal and limited. It is a long drive from Visby. The wind at the point is constant.

Nearby

Burgsvik is north; Sundre and the southern parishes are around.

Key facts