The mystical Skógafoss waterfall in South Iceland has been my favourite waterfall ever since I first visited it with my parents as a small girl. I never get enough of this majestic waterfall and can stay by it for hours.
As a treat for my birthday, I decided to stay at Hotel Skógar, which is almost next to the waterfall, so that I could enjoy my birthday by Skógafoss.
Top photo: Skógafoss waterfall
Hotel Skógar - our room
I booked a standard room at Hotel Skógar, a small and cosy hotel with 12 en-suite rooms.
Hotel Skógar is only a 5-minute walk away from Skógafoss, so we walked to the waterfall 3 times during our stay.
We had a wonderful stay, the room was bright and comfortable, with a flat-screen TV. We never turned on the TV, though, as we used the time to explore the area and visit Skógafoss.
Hotel Skógar - our room
We also visited the Skógar Museum, which is just above the hotel and can be seen from the room window.
It has both an open-air museum with old houses from South Iceland and a regional museum with various artefacts from this area.
I have written another travel blog on the lovely regional Skógar Museum, if you would like to get acquainted with how Icelanders lived in the olden days.
Hotel Skógar - our lovely view
There are some lovely turf houses at the Skógar Museum, but as those of you who read my blog might know - I love turf houses - and have visited and written about almost all the turf houses left in Iceland!
You can see there is a lot to do and see in this area, and Hotel Skógar makes an excellent first stop if you are driving the Ring Road or want to stay for one night, as we did.
Hotel Skógar
We had dinner at the hotel restaurant to celebrate my birthday.
I am allergic to various foods, so they were kind enough to cook me some potatoes, but my husband got a 4-course dinner.
He had lobster cappuccino soup and a seasonal wild Icelandic duo (reindeer and veal) with salad and port wine sauce for a starter, roasted lamb rib eye with wild berry sauce as the main course, and, for dessert, ice cream and chocolate pudding.
My husband said that the food was excellent - and believe me, this man of mine loves his food :)
We had a really relaxing, enjoyable dinner.
The views from the restaurant are beautiful, and we could see the upper part of Skógafoss waterfall.
There was a fire burning in the fireplace, and I did not want to leave, as I was so relaxed.
But we had another treat waiting for us, as behind the hotel, there is a hot tub and a lovely sauna hut. Ever so lovely and romantic.
After dinner, we spent some time soaking in the hot tub and relaxing in the sauna - what a perfect birthday this was :)
By the hot tub at Hotel Skógar
The outside showers didn't work, though. I guess that it isn't easy to keep the showers working in the frost. So shower inside your room if you are visiting in the wintertime.
It must be heavenly sitting in the hot tub when the Northern Lights show up! They didn't show up during our stay, well, not to our knowledge.
But even so, it was really lovely being outside in the still weather, soaking in the hot tub.
Hotel Skógar - breakfast
The next morning, we woke up late and had a hearty breakfast, which was included in the room rate, before we set out to explore this wonderful area further.
I had another look at Skógafoss waterfall, to say: "Bye" to it :) I have loved Skógafoss since I was a little girl, and I remember my parents having a hard time pulling me away from it!
I am just mesmerised by this beautiful waterfall, and I am sure you will be mesmerised as well when you visit it!
Skógafoss waterfall in South Iceland
There is something so mystical about this waterfall, and there is a legend connected to it - behind it, a treasure chest of the Viking settler at Skógar is hidden!
You can read about the treasure chest in my travel blog on Skógafoss waterfall and the legend of the treasure chest.
Kvernufoss waterfall
There is another waterfall, a short hike away from Skógar Museum, called Kvernufoss waterfall in the Kverna river.
It used to be much less visited than Skógafoss, as it is hidden away in a canyon.
I am a huge fan of waterfalls, so I visit Kvernufoss often when I am in this area of South Iceland.
In the summertime, and when the ground is clear of snow and ice, it is possible to walk behind Kvernufoss.
Hotel Skógar in South Iceland
There is plenty to do in this area, making Hotel Skógar a perfect place to stay for the night.
Hotel Skógar is located some 154 km away from Reykjavík and is very popular as a romantic getaway in beautiful surroundings.
Have a lovely time at Skógar :)
