Höfn's harbour is the beating heart of the town. The trawlers that make their way in and out of the port are the reason the town exists — Höfn is first and foremost a fishing community, and the langoustine that fill the holds of those boats end up on restaurant plates within hours. Standing at the quayside on a clear day, you can watch the practical work of a fishing port while Vatnajökull fills the northern horizon, its white mass looking improbably close in the clear Icelandic air.
It is not a touristified harbour — there are no souvenir shops or tourist boats — which is exactly what makes it worth visiting. The smell of salt and diesel, the clink of rigging, and the occasional squabble of seagulls fighting over scraps gives you the honest texture of a town that earns its living from the sea. Early morning, when the boats are coming in and the restaurants' buyers are waiting on the dock, is the best time to be here.