Hofdi Park (Iceland) – lava pillars + trees + views of lake Myvatn

In the middle of the post-apocalyptic landscapes of Lake Myvatn, you find the park of Hofdi Iceland, a little peninsula where a mini-forest was planted giving you a nice break from the bare ground you cross all around the island. And you still get to see a great volcanic feature: the lava pillars of Kálfastrandavogar. Below is my guide to help you plan your visit to Hofdi Myvatn.

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Hofdi (Icelandic spelling: Höfði) is a peninsula in Lake Mývatn:

•  It is so rare in Iceland to see trees that I had to introduce the Hofdi park to you. Apparently it is the result of a couple spending their summer vacations at Hofdi for decades planting trees and plants. When the husband died, the wife donated the place.
• Plus, in one of the coves, you discover strange lava pillars standing in the water, a quite unique feature known as the lava pillars of Kálfastrandavogar.
• And it offers great views of Lake Myvatn

It is not as famous as the lava formations of Dimmuborgir or the pseudocraters, but it is worth a visit.
And Hofdi has been selected by the local tourism office as a ‘Must do’ by the Myvatn Lake.

Hofdi House - not the same

Note that the name Hofdi is also used about a house with historical significance in Iceland. It is located in Reykjavik, built in 1909. It is the famous place where the 1986 summit of presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbatsjov took place, marking the end of the Cold War

How to get to the park of Hofdi Iceland

• Lake Myvatn is in the North of Iceland, over 1h from Akureyri
• Hofdi is located on the East shore of Lake Myvatn
• between the Pseudocraters of Skútustadagígar and Dimmuborgir (but closer to Dimmuborgir), on the Lake side of the road
• Hofdi, with its GPS info and location on the Myvatn map is included in my eBook:

Visiting Hofdi Myvatn

• There is a small parking near the entrance. It might looked closed but the gate can actually be opened. I was there at 8am.
• Once inside there are paths in every directions with signs indicating the exit everywhere it is quite strange. It is an easy walk and the area is not big. There is only a small part of the path that goes up with a few steps with nice views of the surroundings.
• The pillars are at the end of the peninsula; It took me 15min to find the viewpoint for them but I am not able to tell you which paths I took. Just try them all!
• There is an area in the middle that would be nice for kids to play.
• You walk near the water, so the flies are very much present especially in summer.
• In September, admission was free but there might be a fee in Summer
• Great option on windy days
• You can plan less than 1 hour unless you want to enjoy the change in scenery and stay among trees.

Touring the park of Hofdi 

What I like about the Myvatn is the post-apocalyptic look of the landscape. So Hofdi was not high on my list of places to visit. The tree with the autumn colors were nice but I was not in Iceland for such a scenery. Some people do really enjoy it as it provides a break from the lava and bare landscapes.

Plus on a windy day, it is one of the rare areas around Myvatn where you can find a little bit of protection.

The Hofdi Lava Pillars - Kálfastrandavogar

I knew there was a path that would get me very close to the lava pillars. And crazy rock formations are what I am looking for 

For me the most fascinating part of the visit, were the lava pillars in the water. 
Like in Dimmuborgir, the lava has created fascinating shapes and then been eroded.

Views of Lake Myvatn from the promontory

After a few steps (be careful with rain it can be slippery), I was rewarded with some nice views of Lake Myvatn and the pseudo-craters. This promontory is close to the gate. I should have drawn a map while I was there, I am sorry.
You can see the amount of trees in the Hofdi park compared to the bare volcanic landscapes around.

And you can see some of the pseudocraters that formed on the lake:

Want to see more of Iceland's beauty?

What a dedication to plant all those trees, don’t you think?