Hofsos

Hofsós is a village of barely 200 residents on the eastern shore of Skagafjörður in northern Iceland — a community so small and so quietly situated that it might escape notice entirely were it not for two remarkable attractions: an infinity pool that is routinely ranked among the most spectacular swimming experiences in the world, and a museum documenting the mass emigration that saw over 15,000 Icelanders — roughly a quarter of the population — leave for North America between 1870 and 1914.

The Hofsós Swimming Pool, designed by the Icelandic architect Basalt Architects and opened in 2010, is a work of deceptive simplicity — a basin of geothermally heated water set into the cliff edge overlooking Skagafjörður, with an infinity edge that creates a seamless visual merge between the pool's turquoise water and the fjord stretching to the distant Drangey island and the snow-capped mountains beyond. Swimming here on a clear day — warm water around your body, cold Arctic air on your face, the mountains reflected in the pool's surface — is one of Iceland's most memorable sensory experiences, combining the country's geothermal abundance with its architectural minimalism in a single, perfect gesture.

The Vesturfarasetrið (Icelandic Emigration Centre) occupies a restored 19th-century warehouse on the harbour and documents a chapter of Icelandic history that is less well known internationally than the Viking sagas but arguably more consequential for the thousands of families involved. Volcanic eruptions, harsh winters, and economic hardship drove the emigration, and the museum traces the journeys of individual families to Manitoba, Minnesota, and other destinations across the Canadian prairies and American Midwest — communities where the Icelandic language, cuisine, and cultural traditions persisted for generations. The museum's genealogical database allows visitors with Icelandic ancestry to trace their family connections, and the emotional reunions that result are a regular feature of the visitor experience.

Skagafjörður, the broad valley and fjord system that surrounds Hofsós, is Iceland's horse country — the heartland of the Icelandic horse, a breed that has been isolated on the island since the Norse settlement and that possesses the unique tölt gait (a smooth, four-beat running walk) that makes Icelandic riding unlike any other equestrian experience. Horse tours through the valley, passing beneath mountains that were sacred to the Norse settlers and alongside rivers still rich with Arctic char, provide a connection to the landscape that no motorised transport can replicate. The Glaumbær turf farm museum, 25 kilometres south of Hofsós, preserves a traditional Icelandic turf-and-stone farmstead that was inhabited until 1947, its dark, earth-covered rooms providing vivid insight into the living conditions that drove emigration.

Hofsós is visited by smaller expedition cruise ships and sailing vessels that anchor in the fjord. The best time to visit is from June through August, when the midnight sun provides continuous daylight, the pool is at its most atmospheric (though it operates year-round), and the hiking trails around the fjord are snow-free. The winter months offer northern lights viewing from the pool — an experience that combines geothermal warmth, Arctic cold, and celestial spectacle in a single unforgettable moment.