A Transatlantic obsession.
A trip to Iceland yields fire, ice and amazing waterfalls!
When you ask people what they think of when they think of Iceland, you are going to get a wide range of answers. And rightly so-Iceland is a natural and cultural wonder. Just south of the Arctic Circle, it is somewhere only a lucky few visitors will ever travel. I was lucky enough to go there in March. I could write many posts about the wonders of Iceland, but this is a waterfall blog, so I will stay true to the mission, as hard as it will be!
The “Golden Circle” is a popular route which creates a circular trip starting and ending in the capital of Reykjavik. Gullfoss is a major stop on this route. “Gull” translates to “Golden”, and “Foss” translates to waterfall. It was not very golden when I was there. I am not sure the actual definition of blizzard conditions, but that is what it felt like. High on the bluffs, with the wind, sleet and snow beating down, it was actually hard to concentrate on the amazing sight. Gullfoss has to be viewed from several trails (paved, stairs) from the top. There is a lower trail (still above the falls) that appears to be more natural, but that is only open in the summer.
The top level of cascades has a drop of 36 feet. The bottom level falls 69 feet into an unseeable canyon below. The width is a very large 575 feet across, so with the thunderous noise, it is an overwhelming sight. Even this panorama picture does not do this remarkable foss justice!
Another stop on the Golden Circle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Thingvellir National Park. It is a geological treasure, where the Eurasian and American tectonic plates meet. It is a perfect example of the powerful forces that continue to shape Iceland every day. There is one fall, Öxarárfoss (Axe Falls) that we didn’t get to stop at-I just got a glimpse from the road. That will be a recurring theme in this post-there are so many to see, you can’t stop at them all!
While walking through the canyon, we found Drekkingarhylur, also known as the “Drowning Pool”. Women who were found guilty of certain crimes were executed in the cascades as punishment. There is a top level of cascades, that flows down rocks into a larger pool at the bottom. It is a lovely and peaceful place, even with the dark history.
Seljalandsfoss is a famous waterfall right off the Ring Road/Route 1, used as a backdrop by Justin Bieber and Iceland’s own Bjork (remember her?). It flows from a volcanic glacier and drops 197 feet into a pool of crystal-clear water. Seljalands loosely means “selling of the land”. Not sure exactly what they meant by that, but there is a donation box if you want to help preserve this beauty.
The best thing about this foss is that you can walk behind through a cave area. Wear crampons or spikes and plan on getting wet. It was a bit treacherous boulder climbing briefly on the path with the snow, rain, and wind wearing thick ski clothes, but I think the view from behind was worth it!
Next up was my very favorite, the mighty Skogafoss. It is one of the largest waterfalls in the country, at 82 feet wide and a plunge of 200 feet. If you are feeling spunky, you can take the 500 metal steps to the top of this one. I was fine to appreciate this one from the bottom, given the weather. Translating the name would give you “Forest Waterfall”, but there are not a lot of trees around (or in general in Iceland).
I really loved the black sand at this one, and the beautiful creek leading from the falls down to the ocean about 3 miles away. The water, as it is all over Iceland, is vibrant and clear. If you are a “Game of Thrones” fan, this is the location where the dragons land and Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow kissed.
Coming off the cliffs behind the Vatnajokull National Park visitor center, another UNESCO World Heritage site, is Systrafoss (Sisters Falls). It is named for a Benedictine convent that used to be close by in 1180AD. The double cascades are not always visible, and the best time to see these 200 ft plus beauties is early spring to late summer. This was an unexpected treat.
So along the trip, I passed so many beautiful waterfalls, but since I was with a tour, we could not stop. I could not get the names on all of them, so I am just going to close with a montage of the Icelandic Roadside Waterfalls! I hope you will be able to journey there someday and experience this unusual and rich landscape.
