6 Breathtaking Waterfalls in Iceland

There’s so many reasons to fall for Iceland. At this time of year, as the weather gets colder and the days grow shorter, people flock to Iceland in the hopes of seeing the northern lights. Beyond question, these ethereal ribbons of light gliding across the night sky are an unparalleled sight to behold. Fortunately, there is much more of nature’s beauty to take in while you’re in Iceland, most of which isn’t quite as difficult to find.

Iceland has a ridiculous abundance of waterfalls. The location, climate, and presence of glaciers makes Iceland a favourable location for their creation. It seems that at every turn, there’s a new one to see. The best part of chasing falls in Iceland is that each is unique. Though you wouldn’t think so, it never gets old to stand at the foot or at the head of each new waterfall, blinking through the refreshing mist, deafened by the crash of water on stone.

In this post, we’re listing six of the most breathtaking waterfalls along the Ring Road. You should definitely check these out while you’re out chasing the elusive northern lights. All of these are free to see, so there’s really nothing to stop you! I’m presenting them in the order that you would see them if you were to drive clockwise around Iceland from Reykjavik.

Glymur

The first waterfall on the list is Glymur, and is just an hour outside of Reykjavik. Catching a glimpse of Iceland’s second tallest waterfall (almost 200 m) requires a bit of a gruelling hike. The experience is one of the best in Iceland despite it all, so much so that we’ve already devoted an entire post to it here. Not only is the waterfall worth seeing, the view from the top of the falls, since you’re at such a high altitude, is just spectacular. It’s the kind of view that makes you want to scream “I’M KING OF THE WORLD”.

Godafoss

The second waterfall on our list, Godafoss, is one of the most well known waterfalls in Iceland, given its ease of access, and history. The word Godafoss literally means Falls of the Gods. The two-bit version of the legend behind the falls is that the lawman Thorgeir, responsible for the conversion of Iceland to Christianity from the old pagan religion, threw his idols of the Norse gods down the waterfall. This gesture of rejection of the Norse gods is how the falls got their name.

Godafoss is easy to reach, right off the highway just outside of Akureyri. It’s pretty busy, so going at weird times might be beneficial if you want a quiet (figuratively) walk around Godafoss.

Dettifoss

Dettifoss is in the north of Iceland. For most of the year, you must walk through a snowfield to get to a viewing platform. So you might as well take advantage (as we did) to have that snowball fight, build that snowman, make that snow angel; relive your childhood! Dettifoss has the highest volumetric flowrate of all waterfalls in Iceland; it produces a deafening roar you can here from far away, and shoots up spray all the way to the viewing platform. That explains why the picture below is just awful, my camera lens being coated in water droplets. Also, the way snow melts here produces a really cool pattern reminiscent of malachite or agate. I was definitely awestruck when I saw it.

Hengifoss

Hengifoss is another waterfall that requires a relatively long and medium to difficult hike to reach. The trailhead is located near the shore of Iceland’s Lake Lögurinn (home of a fabled lake monster) nestled in a picturesque valley, and the waterfall located at the peak of a flanking mountain. As was the case with Glymur, Hengifoss is worth the hike. There is another waterfall, Litlanesfoss, to see on the way up to Hengifoss so you get two for the price of one! What’s special about this one is that you can see the effects of volcanic activity from millennia ago as the dark basalt rock between the red layers in the rock face behind Hengifoss. The red colour is caused by the oxidization of iron-rich clay deposited between volcanic eruptions. The whole area feels almost desolately alien, like you’re on another planet.

Svartifoss

Another waterfall surrounded by interesting geological formations is Svartifoss. It is located within the Vatnajökull National Park, and the park is fairly busy being the largest national park in Iceland. A medium difficulty walk/hike is required to reach the falls, but you can extend your hike past the falls, if you choose.

Svartifoss is flanked by a concave cliff of black hexagonal columns of stone, much like what is seen at the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. This stone, basalt, forms when lava cools in a specific way, crystallizing and cracking to form these bizarrely geometric columns. Very cool and otherworldly.

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Skógafoss

Skógafoss is our final waterfall. It’s a lovely waterfall for its simplicity and sheer size, and the fact that you can walk up very close. In the picture below you can just make out the shadow of someone standing in the mist at the base of the falls. The beauty of this one is it doesn’t take much effort to see it. It’s pretty much on the side of the highway, you simply have to turn off into a hostel parking lot and there it is, in all its massive and spectacular glory. There is a hike that takes you upriver from the waterfall, it you’re looking to get your heart pumping.

TL;DR Iceland has a lot of waterfalls you really need to see in your lifetime.

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