Hofskirkja
Hofskirkja is a church in South Coast, Iceland — about 342 km from Reykjavik and reached by a straightforward drive from the nearest highway turnoff. Shoot it year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list, then use the GPS coordinates, parking notes, and nearby waypoints below to fold this stop into a longer photography route.
Overview
This fairytale-like building is the last turf church ever built in Iceland. Hofskirkja was originally constructed in 1884.
As a photography stop, Hofskirkja is a church in South Coast, roughly 342 km from Reykjavik, reached by a straightforward drive from the nearest highway turnoff. Plan the shoot year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list. The downloadable Church map pins exact GPS coordinates, parking, and nearby waypoints so you can fold it into a wider route instead of hunting for the pull-off on arrival.
Planning more than one stop? Open all 10 church and chapel stops to put Hofskirkja on the same offline layer as everything nearby.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A turf church built in 1883 at Hof in Öræfi — the youngest turf church in Iceland. It has belonged to the National Museum since 1951, and sits on the narrow strip between the sea and Vatnajökull.
- Built
- 1883
- Distinction
- The youngest turf church in Iceland
- Custody
- Belongs to the National Museum of Iceland since 1951
- Where
- Hof, Öræfi, on Route 1 in the narrow strip between the coast and Vatnajökull; 22 km south of Skaftafell
Turf construction means the roof is living ground rather than a surface — it changes colour with the season in a way a timber or metal roof does not, so the same building photographs very differently in June and October. Being in the National Museum’s care also means it is a preserved monument, not a working parish building to wander into.
SourcesHof, Iceland — Wikipedia
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (63.905, -16.703). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 02:42–23:33 (20.8 h). Evening golden hour 21:41–23:33, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.3 h of daylight (10:52–15:12), but the sun never climbs above 2.8° — the entire day is golden hour. Sunrise bears SSE, sunset SSW.
- Aurora
- Aurora-grade darkness Sep–Mar, peaking at 12.9 h a night in December. Not possible Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug — the sky never gets dark enough.
Bar height is daylight hours. Months marked • have enough astronomical darkness for aurora; the rest do not.
Questions & answers
Hofskirkja is a church in South Coast, Iceland, approximately 342 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Church map.
The recommended season for Hofskirkja is All. For light, plan around blue hour and the first hour after sunrise; Iceland's long shoulder-season twilight extends usable conditions on either side.
Drive access. A standard rental car works in most seasons; check road status in winter before committing. The downloadable GPS map puts the waypoint on your phone; your own app routes you to it from wherever you are.
Yes — Hofskirkja can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.