Hjörleifshöfði and Yoda’s Cave in Iceland

On the south coast of Iceland, black sand beaches become normal. The ash from various eruptions was pushed down to the beach at Hjörleifshöfði after meltwaters from the glacier on Katla took everything in its path in the 14th Century. However, standing above the deposits of ash and the sand beach which is still there today is Hjörleifshöfði Cape.

Yoda outlined cave in Iceland

Hjörleifshöfði Cape

Hjörleifshöfði Cape was formed by a volcanic eruption under a glacier and the tuff rock formed is what remains today. This huge rock is 221 metres high and stands proud at the end of Mýrdalssandur Black Sand Beach just a short distance from the more well-known Black Sand Beach at Vík.

Named after Hjörleifur one of the earliest settlers to Iceland, Hjörleifshöfði farm was in use until 1936 and the grave of Hjörleifur can be found on top of the cape. Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson is believed to have come to Iceland from Norway. He was a Viking settler who came to the country with his brother Ingólfur Arnarsson. They are well-known slave traders who have links to the Westman Islands further west along the coast.

Yoda’s Cave

At the southern end of the cape, there is a large cave. From the outside, it appears as a crack in the cliff face but once inside it becomes a magical location. The acoustics are amazing with a reverberating echo and as you turn to look back to the entrance the outline of the ancient character becomes visible in the cave entrance. Used as the location of Yoda’s Cave in the Star Wars Rogue One movie it is now more than just a cave on a headland in Iceland.

hidden entrance to Yoda's cave in Iceland

Exploring Yoda’s Cave

Yoda’s Cave faces southwest so is good to visit any time of the day although during the late evening, the sky beyond the cave entrance can provide a great backdrop. The entrance is marked by some large rocks which can be used to give scale to the location.

In the winter icicles can form within the cave and the puddles inside freeze over which can add to the beauty of this small cave.

Before reaching the cave there is a large parking area. From here there are some lovely walks along the top of the cliffs above the cave. There is also a small stone circle tucked into the land side of the cape which can be reached during a hike in the area.

Getting to Hjörleifshöfði Cape and Yoda’s Cave

Hjörleifshöfði Cape is located about 15 km east of Vík in the south of Iceland. A small track is marked with an attraction sign from the main Ring Road 1 and the rock can be seen in the distance from the main road.

There is a small marked parking area where the walks to the top of the rock start. However, the road continues around the headland to Yoda’s cave which is just before the first isolated rock on the beach.

The road/track continues around the cape although it becomes indistinct with a steep river crossing to return to the main road and it is better to return from the parking area straight back to the main road.

I'm Suzanne the traveller and photographer behind Meandering Wild. With over 30 years of experience travelling to different corners of the world in search of wildlife and remote locations nearly all of the advice on this website is from my own exploring.