Guide de Voyage : Hjörleifshöfði

Hjörleifshöfði is a 221 meter (725 feet) high mountain in South Iceland, located on the Mýrdalssandur sandplain. It is often visited on tours of the South Coast for those traveling past Vik. 

Explore this area on a self drive tour in Iceland.

Photo above from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Axel Krisinsson. No edits made.

Formation of Hjorleifshofdi

Like most mountains in Iceland, Hjörleifshöfði is volcanic. It began its formation beneath the sea, before emerging as an island. By the time the first settlers had arrived in 870 AD, however, it had joined the mainland, due to eruptions in south Iceland extending the coastline. 

This process occurs due to subglacial flooding, during which melted glacier water rushes from an eruption, carrying with it a wealth of sediment. This creates the black sand beaches that lead up to and surround Hjörleifshöfði.

Yoda’s Cave in Iceland

Photo from Bibhash "getinspo.co" Banerjee

Hjörleifshöfði has recently become quite famous for its appearance in 2016’s Star Wars: Rogue One. It has a small cave on its headlands, the opening of which strangely resembles the silhouette of unusual jedi, particularly from the inside. This cameo has made the cave a must-see destination for Star Wars fans, who will find it easily just off the Ring Road at the end of a path also named Hjörleifshöfði, 15 minutes east of Vik.