Ingólfshöfði Headland
About Ingólfshöfði Headland
Ingólfshöfði is a 76-meter headland on Iceland's south coast that rises alone out of the black sand flats between Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón. It was once an island, and sand carried down by the Skeiðará river has since tied it to the mainland. The whole cape is a protected nature reserve, and in summer its grassy top is busy with nesting puffins you can watch from a few meters away.
The name comes from Ingólfur Arnarson, who by tradition spent his first winter in Iceland here before settling in Reykjavík. A memorial to him and his wife Hallveig stands on the headland, close to a small lighthouse built in 1948 and an emergency hut for shipwrecked sailors. Ruins of old fishing huts are a reminder that the cape was a working fishing station until the 18th century.
There is no road to Ingólfshöfði, so the practical way to visit is the guided puffin tour. A hay wagon pulled by a tractor carries you about 6 kilometers across the sands and tidal shallows, and a guide then leads a walk around the top of the cape. The meeting point is about 2 kilometers south of the Ring Road near Fagurhólsmýri, roughly 30 minutes east of Skaftafell and 40 minutes west of Jökulsárlón.
Tours run only in summer, from around mid-May to mid-August, with exact dates set each year. Late June to early August usually brings the most puffins, and the cliffs also hold fulmars, common murres, razorbills and great skuas. Plan on two to three hours in all, including a walk of about an hour and a half that starts up a steep sand slope.
From Reykjavík the drive takes about 5.5 hours each way, so the tour fits best into a night or two in the Skaftafell area. Bring sturdy shoes and a windproof layer, since the top of the headland is exposed and the wind off the Atlantic can be strong even on a sunny day.
Good to know
Can you visit Ingólfshöfði on your own?
Not easily. There is no road across the sand flats and tidal channels cut through them, so the guided tractor-wagon tour is the practical way to reach the headland.
When is the Ingólfshöfði puffin tour season?
The tour runs from around mid-May to mid-August, with dates set each year. Late June to early August is usually the best window for large numbers of puffins.
Will I see puffins at Ingólfshöfði?
Very likely in season. Puffins nest on the headland every summer and are seen on most tours from mid-May to mid-August, but wildlife is never guaranteed.
How long does the Ingólfshöfði tour take?
Plan on two to three hours. That covers the wagon ride across the sands each way and a guided walk of about an hour and a half on top of the cape.
How far is Ingólfshöfði from Jökulsárlón and Skaftafell?
The meeting point near Fagurhólsmýri is about 40 minutes by car west of Jökulsárlón and about 30 minutes east of Skaftafell, just off the Ring Road.
Why is it called Ingólfshöfði?
It is named after Ingólfur Arnarson, Iceland's first permanent settler, who by tradition spent his first winter on the headland. A memorial to him stands on the cape.
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