Ok, that’s the end of a series of posts about my week in Iceland, including visits to Diamond Beach and its two nearby glaciers, and eleven waterfalls:
Continue reading “Iceland wrap-up”Iceland wrap-up
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Tag: Iceland
Iceland – Brúarárfoss
The bluest river in Iceland!
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
On my final day in Iceland I decided to stop by Brúarárfoss, even though it was out of my way, because it was a beautiful day and these cascades appeared to be different than any I’d seen before. Although they are reached only by driving to the end of a long and rough gravel road, Brúarárfoss has clearly been ‘discovered’. A new gravel carpark had been hacked out of the brush, and a food truck anchored one corner. A short stroll on a bridle path brings visitors to a bridge across the stream, with upstream views of a multi-layer cascade. Perhaps most notably, the water in the central flow (where the water is deepest) is a bright turquoise color, presumably a result of its glacial source.
Iceland – Seljalandsfoss sunset
Nailed it! Incredible sunset light.
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
I was determined to visit Seljalandsfoss again at sunset, based on a tip from my guidebook. Because sunset was after 8:30pm, I assumed that most tourists (especially those from Reykjavik) would have gone home and I might have the opportunity to photograph these falls in golden-hour light with nobody else around. Boy, was I wrong. Everyone, and I mean everyone, seems to know that Seljalandsfoss is the place to be at sunset. As I staked out my place behind the falls, a dozen tour buses disgorged their loads; a stream of people was flowing up the trail and around the falls in anticipation of sunset.
Iceland – Kvernufoss
Another spectacular waterfall – backdrop for a romantic engagement!
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
As my sixth waterfall of the day I visited Kvernufoss, a short walk from Skógafoss. As I followed its brook up into a ravine, I encountered only a few other visitors. At one point, at a particularly nice viewpoint, I took a mental snapshot of a young couple – the man smiling, the woman holding her left hand upright, a shining diamond ring on her finger – while an older woman with a professional camera took photos. An engagement! How heartwarming. I did not disturb them, and traveled onward. Kvernufoss falls from a high cliff above, and has eroded a massive bowl in the tuff… enabling visitors to walk behind the waterfall and look through the cascading water to the ravine and the lowlands beyond. Spectactular! Read on…
Iceland – Skógafoss
One of the tallest free-falling waterfalls I visited in Iceland.
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
Skógafoss is one of the tallest waterfalls I visited – free-falling more than 60m from the top of the cliff into a spray-filled bowl below. Read on…
Iceland – Gluggafoss
A waterfall with windows…
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
I like the name of this waterfall – Gluggafoss. The sound of the name, alone, makes it seem like an interesting place to visit! The name means window waterfall, because the waterfall has eroded deep into the cliffside, visible at parts through ‘windows’ in the rock face. As with some other Icelandic waterfalls, the upper section cuts easily through a layer of tuff, before landing on a harder layer of basalt; the lower cascades flow over this basalt layer. This two-tier foss emerges out of those windows, high on the rock face, then falls free into a pool below, then cascades over a lower set of falls, before calmly turning into a brook that bubbles past the nearby carpark. Few people were present when I came by, and I had plenty of opportunity to explore different angles for capturing the beauty of this unusual waterfall. Read on…
Iceland – Nauthúsagil
A strange encounter with a seagull.
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
I was very nervous about visiting this waterfall. From the guidebook description it sounds fascinating, with a challenging approach through a deep ravine. In one section, you can only progress further by holding a chain and doing a sort-of layback along the left edge of the ravine, bypassing a deep pool and a small cascade. Despite passing all those tests, last year my son managed to dislocate both shoulders(!) merely by leaning down to drink from the stream here. Today, as I drove alone up the rough gravel road to this remote location, and seeing only one other person on site, I was wary about a slip or mistake that might leave me injured. Spoiler: I survived unscathed 🙂
Iceland – Gljúfrabúi
Very tight, very dark, very wet!
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
After a morning visit to Seljalandsfoss, I hopped in the car and plugged in the address for Gljúfrabúi waterfall, which I knew to be nearby. Little did I know, it is in walking distance! Back to the same carpark I went, and re-donned my now-familiar waterfall kit: parka, rainpants, sandals, and waterproof hat. I followed the trail along the cliff face, passing several other unnamed waterfalls that, in New Hampshire, would be worthy of a name and a carpark all their own… but here are just a sideshow to the massive Seljalandsfoss and the mysterious Gljúfrabúi (officially known as Gljúfurárfoss). The trail to Gljúfrabúi then dives into a narrow cleft in the cliff – one could almost overlook it. Read on!
Iceland – Seljalandsfoss
One of the largest and most iconic waterfalls in Iceland.
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
Likely one of the most recognizable waterfalls in Iceland, at least outside those within the Golden Circle, Seljalandsfoss is a massive, free-falling, overhanging waterfall visible from 50km away as you drive the Ring Road. An extensive (and crowded!) carpark corrals the tourists as they stream toward the short trail up to the falls. I purposely arrived early, around 8:30am, in hopes I might beat most of the tourists coming from Reykjavik. I did, but there were nonetheless over one hundred people already there, each angling for a selfie or family photo. This waterfall is especially exciting because one can walk up to, and behind, the waterfall. Read on!
Iceland – Stjórnarfoss
Wading into the icy water led me to better photos!
Part of a series of posts about my travel in Iceland, including visits to eleven waterfalls.
Stjórnarfoss was unusual among all the falls I visited – hardly anyone else was there. In my half-hour on site, perhaps a dozen people came by to snap their photos. In the photo below, the presence of a few people give you a sense of scale for this two-tier waterfall. Here I deployed my secret weapon: water sandals, which I used at about half of the waterfalls on this trip. The water was cold, and lapped at my rolled-up pants, but the opportunity to wade shin-deep allowed me access to compositions impossible for those who needed to keep their feet dry! Read on…
David Kotz 