Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.02.2019, Qupperneq 50

TOWN GUIDE
Höfn
Words: John Rogers Photos : Timothée Lambrecq
The seaside town of Höfn in Hor-
nafjörður is just off the edge of
the main South Iceland tourist
trail. Lying an hour east of Jökul-
sárlón, the traffic thins out as you
approach through rocky outcrops,
abandoned farmhouses and gen-
tly rolling farmland populated by
occasional herds of wild reindeer.
The monstrous, magical Vatna-
jökull takes up much of the north-
ern horizon, embracing the town
on several sides. The gulf stream
means Höfn often gets clement
summer weather, and the warm
seawater means it’s also known as
Iceland’s langoustine capital—a
village of restaurants has sprung
up by the quaint harbour.
Stay: Glacier View &
Hotel Höfn
Just outside of town lies the pic-
turesque Hoffell valley, where the
Glacier View guesthouse offers
unpretentious accommodation
in a rural setting. In Höfn proper,
there are plenty of options. Hotel
Höfn has cosy rooms with ocean
and glacier views, but beware of
the rather ungenerous 4pm check-
in and 11am checkout times. Vari-
ous smaller guest houses and
apartments are also available in
the town. If you want something
closer to Jökulsárlón and Skaf-
tafell, the Hali Country Hotel is
a nice low-key option.
Bathe:
Hoffell Hot Tubs
A few kilometres past the guest-
house, down a rough dirt track,
you’ll find the Hoffell hot pots—five
steaming geothermal tubs embed-
ded in the stony ground. There’s a
container unit to shower and dress
in, and you can pick the tub you pre-
fer, from pleasantly warm to sear-
ingly hot. With several glittering
glacier falls in the distance, it’s a
spot to remember. Take cash, and
leave a contribution in the trust box.
If the roads are clear, head onward
to the glacier lake at Hoffellsjökull.
Eat: Otto
There are several dining options
clustered around Höfn’s harbour
area. Humarhöfnin is the place
to go to taste juicy langoustine
tails in the form of soup, pizza,
sandwich or just served with
garlicky butter. Pakkhúsið has
langoustine, as well as lamb,
salmon, duck and more. Íshúsið
specialises in pizza. The newest
place on the block is Otto, which
wins for atmosphere with a cosy,
tastefully minimal interior in a
house dating back to 1897. The
menu is short, but well-done; the
barley risotto option is particu-
larly excellent.
Visit:
Vatnajökull Visitor
Centre
This two-floor museum offers
some additional insight into the
history, geology and wildlife of the
area. With artefacts like antique
crampons, taxidermied birds, his-
torical films and informative info-
graphics, you’ll come away with an
enriched perspective on life near
Vatnajökull. Particularly impres-
sive are the lepidoptery cabinet and
a map showing walking routes over
the ice cap in times gone by. Whilst
one should never venture onto a gla-
cier without an experienced guide,
you can take supervised hikes from
Jökulsárlón or Skaftafell.
Shop:
Urta Islandica Tea
Workshop
Started as a post-crash back-to-
nature family business in Haf-
narfjörður, the Urta Islandica herb
company now has a tea production
facility and store in Höfn. All of
their products are hand-picked
from Icelandic nature, and pro-
cessed locally into teas, infusions,
salts, syrups and more. Many of the
recipes are based on old Iceland ho-
meopathic remedies.
Travel Distance from Reykjavík: 457km How to get there: Route One southCar provided by: gocarrental.isAccommodation provided by: hali.is
It looks more inviting in summer
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