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Hjörleifshöfði is a 221 m (725 ft) tuff cape on the Mýrdalssandur black sand plain in South Iceland, about 15 minutes east of Vík village, with a cave in its side shaped like Yoda from Star Wars. Seen from inside the dark opening, the outline frames a near-perfect silhouette of the little Jedi Master, which is how the Yoda Cave in Iceland got its name. The black sands at its foot played the planet Lah'mu in the opening of Rogue One. In June 2025, Christopher Nolan filmed The Odyssey's Underworld scenes on the same ground, which is part of the Katla UNESCO Global Geopark. Minutes off the Ring Road, the Yoda Cave near Vík is one of the easiest film locations to reach on the South Coast.
The Yoda shape is best seen from inside, looking out. Photo: Gunnar Gaukur
The Yoda Cave, properly named Gígjagjá, is a large cave carved into the side of Hjörleifshöfði cape, made of tuff, a soft rock formed from hardened volcanic ash. Its opening looks like the silhouette of the beloved Yoda from Star Wars. Seen from inside the dark interior, the outline matches Yoda's ears, hood, and face. The hollow is large and echoes strongly, and the framed view back toward the light is what makes most people stop.
The cave's name, Gígjagjá, comes from two old Icelandic words: gjá, a deep crack in the rock, and gígja, a harp. Some link it instead to a gýgur, a troll-woman of Icelandic folklore. Legend tells of a spellbound woman, a sea monster in some stories, who lived inside.
Where the Underworld scenes were filmed in June 2025. Photo: Gunnar Gaukur
In late June 2025, Christopher Nolan filmed The Odyssey's Underworld scenes on the volcanic sands at Hjörleifshöfði, using the headland as the realm of Hades. In the story, this is where Odysseus goes to speak with the dead prophet Tiresias. Nolan wanted a place that looked nothing like Odysseus's sunny Mediterranean home, and Iceland's stark, dramatic coast was an excellent fit.
Filming in Iceland took about 10 to 12 days and involved close to 1,000 people at its busiest, including more than 400 Icelandic extras. Zendaya and Elliot Page joined Matt Damon, who plays Odysseus, and the Icelandic company Truenorth provided the local production services. Instead of building a fake ship, the crew used the Draken Harald Hårfagre, a real Viking longship built to sail the open seas, kept at the nearby harbor of Landeyjahöfn. They filmed under the midnight sun, when it stays light all night, and some scenes were reportedly shot on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. It was Nolan's third film shot in Iceland, after Batman Begins and Interstellar.
The Odyssey adds to a long line of movies filmed in Iceland, where the country's scenery stands in for alien worlds and ancient myths.
This kind of open black terrain stood in for the planet Lah'mu.
No, the Yoda Cave itself is never shown in any Star Wars film. The name comes from the shape of the opening. The real Star Wars link is the black sand around Hjörleifshöfði, which played the planet Lah'mu in the very first scene of Rogue One, where Jyn Erso and her parents are hiding. The black plain of Mýrdalssandur, with the tuff hills of Hjörleifshöfði and Hafursey rising from it, made the backdrop. This is now one of the best-known Rogue One spots in Iceland.
The settlers who gave the cape its name and story. Illustration: Jakob Jóhannsson
Hjörleifshöfði cape is named after Hjörleifur Hróðmarsson, a Norse settler who made his home here in the 870s. He came to Iceland with his foster brother Ingólfur Arnarson, remembered as the country's first settler, but the two split up and settled in different places. Soon after, Hjörleifur was killed on the cape by his own slaves. Ingólfur tracked the slaves down and killed them on the islands they had fled to, now called the Westman Islands after them. Hjörleifur was buried at the top of the cape, under a mound still called Hjörleifshaugur. People continued to live on the cape for centuries, with a farm there right up until 1936.
Tuff cliffs rise straight from the sand, and the coast road winds past them.
Hjörleifshöfði is a tuya: a flat-topped volcano that forms when lava erupts under thick ice. According to the Katla UNESCO Global Geopark, Hjörleifshöfði took shape late in the last ice age, in an eruption beneath the glacier. Back then, it was most likely an island, cut off by the sea, until sand built up and linked it to the mainland.
That sand is Mýrdalssandur, a huge black plain of approximately 700 km² (270 mi²). It was formed by glacial floods called jökulhlaups, which burst out whenever the Katla volcano erupts beneath the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap. One flood buried an old fjord here in the Middle Ages, and later ones kept pushing the coast farther south. So the plain built up over centuries, from many separate events, not one.
The signed parking area is where the walk to the cave and the summit begins.
The Yoda Cave is a few minutes' walk from the parking area, so you can see it without a proper hike. Reaching the summit takes more effort. Both routes start on the west side, and the climb is short but steep. A direct up-and-back takes about an hour.
The nicest way is the full loop: up one path and down the other, past the Klif pass on the west. It covers about 3.5 km (2.2 miles) and takes 1.5 to 2 hours with photo stops. A map at the parking area marks the routes and the ways down.
At the top, you'll find Hjörleifur's burial mound, called Hjörleifshaugur, with a little family plot next to it. The old farm ruins are right there too, and there's a small waterfall spilling down one of the slopes. The view reaches over the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, the Katla volcano beneath it, and the black plain of Mýrdalssandur. Local stories say elves and hidden people live on the mountain.
The Yoda Cave is on Mýrdalssandur in South Iceland, approximately 201 km (125 mi) from Reykjavík and 14.5 km (9 mi) east of the village of Vík. Coming from the capital, you follow the Ring Road east through Vík, then take the signed turnoff south toward Hjörleifshöfði after a few kilometers. A short gravel track leads to the parking area, and the cave is a level walk from the parking lot.
A regular 2WD car can handle the drive in normal conditions, since this is a marked gravel track rather than a highland F-road (a rough mountain track that requires a 4x4). The gravel can be bumpy, so a vehicle with a bit more clearance helps. Parking is paid and collected on-site by the operator, Viking Park. You can pay in the EasyPark app or by scanning the QR code on the information signs at the parking area. There are no restrooms or cafes at the site, so stop in Vík first. GPS coordinates for the site are 63.4167° N, 18.7667° W.
Many travelers pair the stop with the Katla Ice Cave tour, which begins in Vík, minutes from the cape, before heading onto the glacier by Super Jeep.
Even under snow, the cape is reachable when the weather is calm.
Summer is the easiest time to visit, with long daylight hours, milder weather, and smoother driving. Winter brings snow, ice, and short days, though the cape remains reachable in calm weather. Mýrdalssandur is flat and fully exposed, so sandstorms can kick up in strong winds and cut visibility fast. Check the wind forecast from the Icelandic Met Office before you set out, and skip the stop if a storm is moving in.
Expert tip:
Driving into Mýrdalssandur usually surprises visitors, because suddenly the lush green farmland of the South Coast turns into a barren, desert-like landscape of great black sands, with Mýrdalsjökull looming in the background. On very windy days, you can get sandstorms here, which makes it even moodier. All that black sand is ash and sediment carried down by Katla eruptions. An interesting time to drive Mýrdalssandur is mid-June to mid-July, when the lupines are in bloom, and it looks like endless fields of purple flowers with the Katla glacier behind them. It's a very popular spot to stop and take photos.
— David Arnar Runólfsson, Chief Destination Officer at Arctic Adventures
Most places to stay near the Yoda Cave are in and around Vík, the nearest village to the west. A few are closer to the cape, and one lies farther east for travelers heading that way.
Anyone mapping the rest of the route can compare our hotels around Iceland when planning where to stay next.
The Sólheimasandur plane wreck is one of several South Coast stops west of Hjörleifshöfði.
Hjörleifshöfði is one stop on a busy stretch of the South Coast, with plenty more attractions within about an hour's drive. All distances below are from the parking area.
Reynisfjara: Iceland's best-known black-sand beach, about 26 km (16 mi) west, just past Vík. Basalt columns and the Reynisdrangar sea stacks frame the shore. When visiting, never turn your back on the ocean, as sudden sneaker waves can catch you off guard.
Dyrhólaey: A rocky promontory with a giant sea arch, approximately 32 km (20 mi) west. It's topped by a lighthouse, and in summer puffins nest along the cliffs. Some parts close at night in nesting season to give the birds space.
Sólheimasandur Plane Wreck: The fuselage of a 1973 US Navy DC-3, abandoned on black sand about 37 km (23 mi) west. A flat walk of about 45 minutes each way leads out from the parking area. The stark setting is a beloved spot among photographers.
Skógafoss: One of Iceland's biggest waterfalls, dropping 60 m (197 ft) in a wide curtain approximately 48 km (30 mi) west of the cave. A staircase climbs to a clifftop viewpoint. Legend says there's a chest of Viking gold hidden behind the falls.
Eyjafjallajökull: The ice-capped volcano behind the 2010 ash cloud, about 60 km (37 mi) west. Its eruption grounded flights over much of Europe that spring. A small visitor center at the base of the volcano fills you in on the whole story.
Fimmvörðuháls: A demanding day hike between two glaciers, linking Skógar with the Þórsmörk valley. Its trailhead is approximately 63 km (39 mi) west. The route passes waterfalls and the craters left by the 2010 eruption. Most walkers spend a full day here.
Sólheimajökull: An outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull, around 50 km (31 mi) west and easy to reach. Its crevassed tongue is a popular base for guided glacier walks. Never step onto the ice without a certified guide.
Seljalandsfoss: A waterfall you can walk behind, dropping about 60 m (197 ft), approximately 76 km (47 mi) west. A path loops around the cascade into the space behind the water. Expect to get wet.
Gljúfrabúi: Half-hidden waterfall in a mossy gorge beside Seljalandsfoss, a short walk from its neighbor about 76 km (47 mi) west. You wade through a shallow stream to reach the chamber where it falls.
Hjörleifshöfði works best as one stop on a longer South Coast trip, alongside Reynisfjara, Skógafoss, and a glacier or ice cave. Guided South Coast tours handle the driving, the timing, and the conditions, so you can spend the day looking around instead of at the map.
The Yoda Cave is on Iceland's South Coast, tucked into the side of the Hjörleifshöfði cape on the Mýrdalssandur sand plain. It's between the village of Vík and the glacier river plains to the east, so it fits naturally into any Ring Road trip. Look for the Hjörleifshöfði sign a few kilometers past Vík.
Hjörleifshöfði was the main location, but it wasn't the only one. Christopher Nolan also took the production to the Snæfellsnes peninsula in west Iceland, and moored the film's Viking longship at the harbor of Landeyjahöfn. Iceland's range of black coasts and dramatic scenery let one country stand in for several corners of the ancient world.
The cave is free, but you pay to park, charged per vehicle for the day. The money goes toward the trails and upkeep at the site. You can pay quickly through the EasyPark app or by scanning the QR code on the sign at the site.
Most people spend 15 to 30 minutes at the cave, which is a short walk from the parking area. Set aside 1 to 2 hours more if you want to climb to the summit, or a half-day to combine it with nearby South Coast stops.
Not long. Most visitors are up and back within a couple of hours. The trails are short but steep, so wear proper shoes and take it slow in windy conditions. Rain, snow, or ice make the climb more challenging, so check the forecast before you set off.
Yes. In good weather, you can reach Yoda Cave with a regular car, so a 4x4 is not usually necessary. The bigger concern is the weather. Mýrdalssandur is very exposed, and strong winds can blow sand across the road, reducing visibility. In winter, snow and ice can make the short gravel section more challenging. Drive slowly, and avoid the route during storms.
