Hofdi

Hofdi is wooded, which is not what the rest of the Myvatn shoreline looks like. The loop runs under trees for most of its length before it drops to the water.

The reward is at the shore. Lava formations rise straight out of the lake, and the path along the west side passes free-standing stones in the shallows. That stretch is where most people stop to photograph. The water is clear enough to see the bottom, and it stays clear in cloudy weather.

This is a walking place, not a viewpoint you pull up to. There is no climb and no scramble, just wooded ground, shoreline and rock. In early September the loop can be close to empty.

• Midges: from the end of May through the summer they swarm over the lake in dense clouds. Bring a face net.
• Toilets: there are toilets at the car park, and they are paid.
• Waymarking: the loop is signed with white markers. Follow them and the path brings you back to the car park.
• With children: the route is short and level, and works well with children.

Hofdi sits on Route 848, which runs along the east side of Lake Myvatn. Visitors arrive by car, and the road brings you to a small car park at the edge of the reserve. Everything beyond that is on foot. The lake shore is five to ten minutes away on level ground, and the full waymarked loop is just under a mile. The walking is easy throughout.

Best: early September, when the loop is quiet.

Avoid: the height of summer if midges bother you. They are over the lake from the end of May onwards.

Midges decide the visit here more than weather or light. They gather over the water rather than among the trees, so the wooded part of the loop stays tolerable even when the shore does not.