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  • Writer's pictureEinar Páll Svavarsson

Höfn í Hornarfirði town

Updated: Sep 4, 2023


Single family homes in Höfn í Hornarfirði village
Single family homes in Höfn í Hornarfirði village

Höfn is a relatively new town in a historical sense. The town's origin can not be traced back to farms or settlements that developed from trading and fishing centuries back. It is more like several other towns and villages around the coastline, a product of modern times. The first houses that were built in Höfn were trading posts in the late 19th century. After the trading post had started to develop, more and more houses were built. Like other places around the coastline, the people of Höfn also started to take advantage of the fishing grounds nearby. So fishing and fish processing also became a permanent base of livelihood.


Hornafjörður village is on the east side in South Region on the map of Iceland
Hornafjörður village is on the east side in South Region on the map of Iceland


A fishing town with an important connection to farming

Höfn village harbour
Höfn village harbour

Early on, the Co-op Society became an influential contributor to the development of Höfn, side by side with entrepreneurs and traders. Although initially based on trading and fishing, the town is surrounded by fertile farmlands, so service and services related to farming became an important factor in the town's development.


A thriving community with a strong economic base and lobster as an icon

Church in Höfn village
Church in Höfn village

Today Höfn is a thriving community with approximately 2200 residents. The economy is mainly based on fishing and fish processing. Most of the Norway lobster caught in Iceland is landed in Hornarfjörður, and the lobster is quite symbolic for Hornarfjörður. In addition to fishing, the town is also high in the industry related to agriculture. Not surprisingly, tourism is growing rapidly for those who have visited the area. Companies that offer impressive glacier tours, hiking tours, and local food are constantly surfacing.


Höfn offers excellent service and is placed in a stunning landscape

Campside in Höfn í Hornarfirði village
Campside in Höfn í Hornarfirði village

Höfn is a good place to live with all the modern services that a community can offer. It has a preschool, a primary and secondary school, a music school, a good welfare service, good care for the elderly, and excellent sports facilities. Höfn has a good swimming pool.

The campsite at Höfn is one of the best in Iceland and here you can find a spot for your tent with a spectacular view. There are quality hotels and guesthouses in the town as well as in the neighboring area. The town of Höfn is a perfect place to stop if you are driving the Ring Road in Iceland or even if you are taking a trip to the Jökulsár Lagoon and you want to stay overnight nearby. Höfn also offers restaurants and cafés with fish and fish soups from the neighboring fishing grounds.

 


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