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Jökulsárlón is Iceland’s most famous glacier lagoon. Conveniently located in the southeast by Route 1, about halfway between the Skaftafell Nature Reserve and Höfn, it is a popular stop for those travelling along the South Coast or around the Ring Road of the country.
Geography
As a glacier lagoon, Jökulsárlón is a lake that is filled with the meltwater from an outlet glacier. In this case, it is Breiðamerkurjökull, a tongue of Europe’s largest ice cap, Vatnajökull.
It stands out, however, due to the fact that it also fills with icebergs breaking from the glacier, some of which tower several stories high.
These icebergs, other than their scale, are notable for their colouration. Although they are, as expected, largely white, most are also dyed electric blue in part, with black streaks of ash from eruptions centuries past.
When the icebergs finally make it across the lagoon, they either drift out to sea or wash up on the nearby shore. Because of the way they glisten against the black sands of Breiðamerkursandur, this area has been nicknamed ‘the Diamond Beach’.
In spite of being a rather recent formation, Jökulsárlón is the deepest lake in the country, with depths of 248 metres (814 feet). With a surface area of 18 square kilometres (7 square miles), it is also growing to be one of the largest.
History
Jökulsárlón has not been around since Iceland’s settlement; it only formed around 1935. This was due to rapidly rising temperatures in the country from the turn of the twentieth century; since 1920, Breiðamerkurjökull has been shrinking at a dramatic rate, and the lagoon has begun to fill its space.
Today, the expansion of Jökulsárlón is accelerating. In 1975, it had less than half its current surface area.
In the relatively near future, it is expected that the lagoon will continue to grow until it becomes a large, deep fjord.
Though a dark omen for Iceland’s glaciers and ice caps in general, the retreat of Breiðamerkurjökull has resulted in an incredibly beautiful, if temporary, site. This has not been overlooked by Hollywood.
Jökulsárlón has been featured in the James Bond films A View to Kill in 1985 and Die Another Day in 2002, 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and 2005’s Batman Begins.
In 2017, Jökulsárlón was enveloped into the Vatnajökull National Park, thus it is now fully protected by Icelandic law.
Wildlife
Because of the wealth of herring and capelin that the tides bring into the lagoon, Jökulsárlón is somewhat of a hot-spot for Iceland’s wildlife.
In summer, it is a nesting site for Arctic Terns; stay well away from their nesting area, as these birds are notorious for the fierceness with which they protect their eggs, dive-bombing the heads of any they see as a threat. Skuas also nest on the lake’s shores in this season.
Seals can be reliably spotted here throughout the year, swimming amongst or else hauling out on the icebergs. Jökulsárlón provides them with a safe haven to rest and socialise, especially considering the waters of southeast Iceland are renowned for their population of orcas.
Vatnajökull glacier is the largest glacier in Europe, covering 8% of Iceland’s landmass.
It is the central feature of the Vatnajökull National park, found in the south west of Iceland, a popular spot for activities like glacier hiking from Skaftafell, boat tours in the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, and ice caving tours between November and March.
Facts about Vatnajokull
Vatnajökull has a surface area of approximately 8,100 square kilometres (3127 square miles); though it is rapidly shrinking due to climate change, its recession is not quite as advanced as at other glaciers, such as Langjökull and Mýrdalsjökull. In parts, it is a kilometre deep (over three thousand feet), and its average thickness is around half of that.
Vatnajökull also holds the tallest peak in Iceland beneath its ice; Hvannadalshnjúkur is 2,200 metres tall (7,218 feet). It also conceals some of the most active volcanoes in the country, the most notable being Grímsvötn, Öræfajökull and Bárðarbunga.
Volcanic activity in the region has occurred on and off throughout the centuries, and many geologists believe that several eruptions are overdue. If their calculations are correct, it would mean significant volcanic activity for Vatnajökull over the scope of the next half-century.
Depending on winds, this could result in worldwide consequences in terms of air-travel, agriculture and the general climate.
The glacier boasts over 30 outlet glaciers, which are channels of ice that flow out of ice caps but remain constrained on the sides of the valley. The major outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull include Dyngjujökull in the north, Breiðamerkurjökull, and Skeiðarárjökull to the south. To the west, one can find the outlet glaciers Síðujökull, Skaftárjökull and Tungnaárjökull.
Numerous rivers run out of Vatnajökull, making up some of the greatest glacial rivers in Iceland. The most notable are:
Tungnaá (west)
Köldukvísl (west)
Þjórsá (west)
Jökulsá á Fjöllum (north)
Skjálfandafljót (north)
Jökulsá á Brú (northeast)
Jökulsá í Fljótsdal (northeast)
Jökulsá í Lóni (south)
Hornafjarðarfljót (south)
Jökulsá á Breiðamerkursandi (south)
Skeiðará (south)
Núpsvötn (south)
Hverfisfljót (south)
Skaftá (south)
Vatnajokull National Park
Vatnajökull National Park was established in June 2008 and has slowly grown to include more and more areas. The park now covers an area of 14,141 square kilometres (5,460 square miles), 14% of the country. It is the second largest national park in Europe.
Rivers divide the highland plateau to the north of the park. The volcanic table mountain Herðubreið towers over this particular region, along with volcanoes Askja, Snæfell and Kverkfjöll.
The canyon Jökulsárgljúfur was carved out by glacial floods centuries ago. At the upper end of the canyon, you'll find Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe. Further north, the horseshoe-shaped canyon Ásbyrgi is believed to have formed when Óðinn's eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, stepped his foot down from the heavens.
East around Snæfell, one can find wetlands and ranges, home to roaming herds of wild reindeer and abundant birdlife. Steep mountain ridges make up the south side of Vatnajökull, where outlet glaciers crawl onto the lowlands. The sandy plains of Skeiðarársandur also lie to the south, and the glacial river Skeiðará runs through this vast desert.
One of Iceland's most visited landmarks in the National Park is the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, which sits at the base of the outlet glacier Breiðamerkurjökull. Here, large icebergs that have broken off the glacier float across a vast lake before ending up in the Atlantic Ocean, or washed ashore on the nearby Diamond Beach.
This is one of the best seal-watching spots in the country.
The Future of Vatnajokull
The volume of Vatnajökull reached its peak around 1930 but has since been in a steady process of decline. Because of rising levels of global temperature, Vatnajökull has on average lost about a metre (three feet) of its thickness annually over the past 15 years.
If temperature levels continue to rise, the glacier could be all but gone nearing the end of the next century, leaving only small ice caps on top of the highest mountain summits.
Efforts are being made to prevent what some say is the inevitable, with reforestation projects going on all around the glacier, a proven method of cooling the area. Time will tell how successful they are.
Vatnajokull and Jokulsarlon in Popular Culture
The beauty of Vatnajökull National Park has not gone unnoticed by those in film or television. Many famous scenes have been shot here, starting with James Bond: A View to Kill in 1985. Other notable films with scenes here include Batman Begins, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and James Bond: Die Another Day.
Most famously, however, many places in Vatnajökull have been used in the HBO Series Game of Thrones, north of the Wall. The Wall itself is constructed with CGI using shots of the glacier.
Skógafoss is one of Iceland’s biggest and most beautiful waterfalls with an astounding width of 25 meters (82 feet) and a drop of 60 meters (197 feet).
Due to the amount of spray the cascade produces, at least one rainbow is present any time the sun emerges from behind the clouds.
Located on the Skógá river, this mighty cascade is clearly visible from Route 1 and is an excellent place to stop and stretch the legs while travelling Iceland’s South Coast. The river below Skógafoss holds a large char and salmon population and is thus a favourite spot for fishermen in the summer.
The land underneath the waterfall is very flat, allowing visitors to walk right up to the wall of water. This will get you drenched, although, on a summer’s day, it can be quite tempting.
Skógafoss can also be viewed from the top as a steep staircase leads to an observational platform above the cascade. Many nesting seabirds can be found on the route up.
Geography
Skógafoss is located near the small village of Skógar, south of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier volcano. There you’ll find the Skógasafn folk museum, an open-air museum with both old wooden houses and turf houses, as well as a regional museum with various artefacts from this area.
A part of the Skógasafn Regional Museum is the Museum of Transportation, which showcases the history and evolution of transportation, communication and technologies in Iceland. There, you can see how this nation evolved from the age of the working horse to the digital communications of the 21st century.
The Skógasafn museum also includes a café and a museum shop, and in the village of Skógar, you will find both a hotel and a restaurant.
At the eastern side of Skógafoss, you will find one of Iceland’s most famed hiking routes; the Fimmvörðuháls pass. The 22 kilometre (14 miles) trail takes you along Skógá river, between two glaciers, Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull, before ending in the beautiful Þórsmörk valley.
Skógafoss is often visited alongside the waterfall Seljalandsfoss, which is just a little further along the South Coast. Both fall from cliffs of the same height, and while Skógafoss is much more powerful, Seljalandsfoss has a cave behind it, which means it can be fully encircled. It is also next to a much lesser known but still awe-inspiring waterfall, Gljúfrabúi.
Folklore
A gold ring is on display at the Skógasafn museum. According to legend, the ring is from a chest that was owned by Þrasi Þórólfsson, one of the first Viking settlers in the area, who by some accounts was a giant. Folklore states that before his death in 900 AD, Þrasi buried a chest filled with gold in a cave behind Skógafoss waterfall.
Many attempts were made to retrieve the chest after Þrasi’s death, and years later, locals managed to grasp a ring on the side of the chest. As they pulled, the ring broke off, and the treasure was lost forever. The ring was then given to the local church before it made its way to the museum.
Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall that can be fully encircled, situated on the South Coast of Iceland with a drop of 60 metres (200 feet).
Due to the waterfall’s close proximity to the Ring Road and impressive natural features, it is one the country's most famous and visited falls. Majestic and picturesque, it is one of the most photographed features in all of Iceland.
Geology and Surroundings
Seljalandsfoss waterfall, part of the river Seljalandsá, has its origins underneath the glacier Eyjafjallajökull. The volcano beneath this ice cap was the one that erupted in 2010 and caused havoc at airports across Europe.
The cascade of the falls is relatively narrow but falls from a tall cliff that once marked the country's coastline, the sea is now located across a stretch of lowlands and is visible from the site.
The most distinguishing feature of Seljalandsfoss is a pathway that stretches all the way around it. The cliffs behind the falls have a wide cavern, and rocks and paths allow guests to fully encircle it in summer.
Though a mesmerising opportunity, visitors should be prepared to get dampened due to the perpetual mist of the falls, which also tends to make the rocks of the pathway slippery.
Floodlights have been set up on both sides of the waterfall, which impressively illuminate the scene during the night when the midnight sun is not out. The lights were installed in 2001 due to the growing popularity of the falls as a tourist destination.
After visiting Seljalandsfoss, it is common for visitors to continue north to the waterfall Gljúfrabúi, which is found partially hidden behind a rock face. Because of Seljalandsfoss extreme popularity, Gljúfrabúi is widely considered the hidden gem of the scene, as it is too often overlooked.
Seljalandsfoss is also usually visited alongside the nearby Skógafoss. The waterfall falls from the same height, and while it cannot be encircled, it is much more powerful and steeped in the legend of a giant’s hidden treasure.
Visitor Centre Controversy
In 2017, it was announced that a visitor’s centre was to be constructed near the falls. The design of the building indicated that it would be seven metres (23 feet) high and 2,000 square metres (21,500 square feet) in size. Landowners in the area opposed to the idea, proclaiming that the centre would greatly alter the natural appearance of the waterfall’s renowned scenery.
The project has neither been fully approved nor wholly cancelled, with ideas surfacing of either significantly reducing the size of the construction, or moving the visitor centre’s location further away, for instance to the nearby farmstead Brekkuhorn.
Seljalandsfoss in Popular Culture
Along with a multitude of South Iceland’s most famous natural attractions, Seljalandsfoss can be seen in Justin Bieber’s music video for his song ‘I’ll Show You’. Please enjoy the video without emulating any antics that will endanger yourself or the environment.
The waterfall was also a featured waypoint during the first leg of the sixth season of The Amazing Race, an American reality TV series.
Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier of the mighty icecap of Mýrdalsjökull on the South Coast of Iceland. It is one of the most easily accessible glaciers to reach from Reykjavík, just 158 kilometres (98 miles) away.
For those who are based in Reykjavík, it is by far the favourite spot on which to take guided glacier walks, competing nationally for popularity only with Svínafellsjökull in the south-east.
Geography of Solheimajokull
About eight kilometres long and two kilometres wide (five miles long and just over a mile wide), Sólheimajökull is an impressive feature. Due to the way it descends from Mýrdalsjökull, however, without a clear distinction between the two, it appears much bigger.
Mýrdalsjökull itself has many other outlet glaciers; overall, it is the fourth largest ice cap in Iceland. Beneath its thick surface is one of the country’s most infamous volcanoes, Katla.
The nearby Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010 causing widespread havoc at European airports. Throughout history, eruptions in Eyjafjallajökull mean that Katla will also erupt, and so the volcano is due to go off soon. However, volcanoes and all seismic activity in Iceland is highly monitored, meaning that it is perfectly safe to travel around the area and even take an ice cave tour in the glacier above.
Sadly, like all the glaciers in Iceland bar one, Sólheimajökull is shrinking rapidly. A glacier lagoon at its base reveals how quickly it is receding: the length of an Olympic swimming pool every year. It seems like this change is already an irreversible consequence of climate change, and it may be gone within decades.
Visitors to Iceland should, therefore, make sure they witness the ice-cap while it is still with us.
Sólheimajökull has several distinctive traits that separate it from other glaciers. Firstly, it is incredibly easy to find, laying just off of the Ring Road that encircles Iceland. Secondly, it is not surrounded by tall mountains, meaning those who ascend it can attain incredible views of the South Coast. Thirdly, it is home to many walls of ice that can be climbed up with ice axes on certain tours.
There are also crevasses that snake across the surface, spectacular ice ridges and formations, and a vivid colouration that dances between a gleaming white, electric blue, and ash black. Occasionally, you will even find an ice cave, though these can never be guaranteed.
A river runs from the meltwater of the glacier tongue, called the Jökulsá á Sólheimasandi. This river runs through a glacial outwash plain - otherwise known as a black-sand-desert - of Sólheimasandur to the nearby ocean.
Tours on Solheimajokull
Many day tours run from Reykjavík to Sólheimajökull, for glacier hikes or as part of a greater South Coast tour.
Greater South Coast tours include visits to other features, such as the incredible waterfalls of Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, the black sand beach Reynisfjara, and some even reach Vatnajökull National Park and the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.
Hidden crevasses and ice caves, slippery surfaces, and the threat of rock- or ice-falls all pose dangers on glacier hikes, but glacier guides have to pass several training courses to deal with these eventualities, making the activity quite safe for those in a fit state of health.
All guests are equipped with helmets, ice axes, and crampons, and should arrive wearing warm clothes and sturdy hiking boots.
It is forbidden to ascend glaciers without the correct equipment or training, for your safety and the safety of others. There have been injuries and deaths on Sólheimajökull before, and glacier guides have had to risk their lives to rescue those who flouted the rules.
Reynisfjara is a world-famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland, just beside the small fishing village of Vík í Mýrdal.
With its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches. In 1991, National Geographic voted Reynisfjara as one of the Top 10 non-tropical beaches to visit on the planet.
Reynisfjara is found around 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavík, and is a popular stop-off for those taking a sightseeing tour along the popular South Coast.
Driving to the beach is particularly easy, taking an approximate two and a half hours from the capital, so can easily be done within half a day, or a full one combined with other features.
Folklore
Upon visiting the beach, travelers will immediately observe rocky sea stacks sitting off the shoreline, known as Reynisdrangar.
According to local Icelandic folklore, these large basalt columns were once trolls trying to pull ships from the ocean to shore. However, these trolls were dim and went out too late in the night; dawn broke on the horizon, turning the trolls into solid stone.
Another legend tells of a husband whose wife was kidnapped and killed by two trolls. The man followed the trolls down to Reynisfjara where he froze them, ensuring that they would never kill again.
So mesmerizing are these features that they featured in Season 7 of the HBO Series Game of Thrones; you can spot them in a few scenes shot ‘North of the Wall’.
The sea stacks themselves are home to thousands of nesting seabirds. Species that can be found here include puffins, fulmars and guillemots, making it a must-see location for all birdwatchers out there.
Surrounding Sites
Reynisfjara beach is located conveniently in the middle of the South Coast, adjacent to the village of Vík. This means that those taking the Ring Road around the country, or else those heading to the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon, will pass it, and are encouraged to make a stop.
The closest major landmark is the Dyrhólaey rock arch and cliffs. While many seabirds are found at Reynisfjara, it is nothing compared to the numbers here. From May to August, it is one of the best places to see puffins from land.
En route to Reynisfjara from Reykjavík, you will discover waterfalls, such as Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, and glaciers, such as Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. Further along the South Coast, you will reach the Vatnajökull National Park, with its many glacier tongues, glacier lagoons, black sand deserts, and the incredible Skaftafell Nature Reserve.
Potential Dangers
Visitors to Reynisfjara must be made well aware of the potential dangers present at the beach. First of all, the rolling, roaring waves of Reynisfjara are particularly violent, often pushing far further up the beach than many would expect.
These are called sneaker-waves, and they can appear when least expected, even on incredibly still days. There are no significant landmasses in between Antarctica and the shores of Reynisfjara, meaning waves have thousands of kilometers to build.
Visitors are advised to never turn their back on the waves, and keep a safe distance of at least 30 meters (98 feet).
Aside from these sudden and dramatic shifts in the tide, the rip currents offshore are infamous for their strength and ability to drag helpless people out into the freezing cold open ocean. A number of fatal accidents have occurred at Reynisfjara, the last of which occurred in January 2017.
Gljúfrabúi (or Canyon Dweller) is a beautiful waterfall located at Hamragarðar in South Iceland, close to its better-known counterpart, Seljalandsfoss waterfall. It is one of the hidden gems of the South Coast, and thus an excellent spot for photographers and those seeking to admire nature in peace.
Image from Regína Hrönn Ragnarsdóttir
Nature of Gljúfrabúi
The 40 metre (131 feet) high Gljúfrabúi is hidden behind a considerable cliff which faces out towards Iceland’s South Coast and the Atlantic Ocean. Because of its effective ‘hiding place’, Gljúfrabúi is overlooked by most travellers, even though thousands of people visit Seljalandsfoss, less than a kilometre away, every day.
A stream, the Gljúfurá, runs through a cleft in the cliff, and those who wish to approach the falls must do so by wading through these waters.
After a few metres of travelling through a narrow valley, a small space opens up, and here, Gljúfrabúi tumbles before a great boulder, which is easily climbable for some great photos. With the open sky above, mossy walls, silver mist and black lava, it is one of Iceland’s most breathtaking gems, seemingly from a fantasy story.
This is especially the case on sunny days, where rainbows curve through the water’s spray.
The route into the cavern is mildly challenging and you run the risk of getting wet or at the worst, spraining your ankle so only attempt to reach Gljúfrabúi if you are in a decent state of health and confident on your feet. It should only be attempted when there is no ice on the ground.
Surroundings of Gljúfrabúi
Gljúfrabúi is in one of the most travelled regions of Iceland, on the South Coast along the Ring Road. This means that it is very easy to reach, either alone or on a guided tour, just an hour and a half’s drive from the capital.
As mentioned, Gljúfrabúi is about ten minutes walk north Seljalandsfoss. Interestingly, this is one of the country’s most famous and photographed waterfalls, due to the fact it falls from a concave cliff which allows visitors to encircle the cascade fully.
Seljalandsfoss is taller than Gljúfrabúi at 60 metres (196 metres), with a similar water flow. Both are fed by the meltwater of the glacier Eyjafjallajökull, the volcano beneath which caused widespread problems to air traffic across Europe when it erupted in 2010.
A much more powerful waterfall can be found just half an hour’s drive or so along the Ring Road, called Skógafoss. This is a similar height to Seljalandsfoss, but up to 30 metres (98 feet) wide after a heavy rain.
Another popular site in the area is Sólheimajökull, the most popular glacial outlet in Iceland for glacier hiking. This feature is on Sólheimasandur, a vast expanse of volcanic ash that resembles a black sand desert.
Those who are travelling a little further along the South Coast will reach the cliffs of Dyrhólaey, with their beautiful rock arch and resident puffins in summer, and the beach of Reynisfjara, renowned for it powerful waves and basalt sea-stacks, called Reynisdrangar.
All these sites can be visited with ease within a day.
Foss á Síðu is a historic farm in southeast Iceland, renowned for its folklore and natural beauty.
History and Folklore at Foss a Sidu
The farm of Foss á Síðu has been inhabited since Iceland's Settlement Era, between 874 and 930 AD. It is mentioned in one of the earliest pieces of Icelandic literature, the Book of Settlement, which has been a vital tool for historians in understanding the story of Iceland and the lineages of its people.
The site has also had one of Iceland's mysterious legends surrounding, which goes back to the 16th Century. It is said that because of the wicked ways of one man, a family was cursed for nine generations. The spectre that haunted them was a dog, Móri, whom many still claim to see in the area. In spite of his ruthlessness to this particular family, he has never been reported to have harmed any others.
As it is just 10 kilometres east of the village of Kirkjubæklaustur, which was historically a centre of religion and piety, this legend was most likely exaggerated as a fear-mongering technique, warning the untoward of God's potential wrath.
Why it has been inhabited so long, in spite of the curse, becomes apparent when you see it. The farm is on a verdant hillock, against a dramatic set of cliffs that hold a beautiful waterfall. The word 'Foss' means 'Falls in Icelandic, and the literal translation of the name is 'the Falls at Siðú'.
Getting to Foss a Sidu
Foss á Síðu is hard to miss, being directly on the Ring Road of Iceland en route to Jökulsárlón from Reykjavík. It is, however, past the major sites of the region, such as the waterfalls Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, the black-sand-beach of Reynisfjara, and the puffin-watching cliffs and sea-arch of Dyrhólaey.
It takes around three and a half hours to reach, driving directly from Reykjavík. Plan your journey with extra time, as you will no doubt also want to stop at some of the landmarks above.
The South Coast of Iceland is the country's most visited sightseeing route, along with the Golden Circle.
This incredible shoreline stretches from the greater Reykjavík area in the west to the magnificent Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in the east and is lined with countless natural wonders such as cascading waterfalls, volcanoes, black sand beaches and glaciers.
Geography, Nature & Wildlife
The South Coast is the most easily accessible part of the country’s southern region, found along the Route 1 highway (the Ring Road), which encircles Iceland. The area consists of a diverse lowland that transitions between, marshlands, bays, cultivated pastures, estuaries and black sand deserts.
Underneath the soil rests a vast lava field, known as Þjórsárhraun. Its edges reach several hundred metres offshore where the ocean waves crash upon them, thereby protecting the lowland from the invasion of the sea. This results in the South Coast being unusually lacking in the deep fjords that so distinctly characterise the rest of Iceland's shoreline.
The region boasts vibrant bird life during all seasons. Freshwater birds nest in the marshlands and around the estuaries, while seabirds flock around the cliffs of Reynisdrangar and Dyrhólaey, including the North Atlantic puffin between May and August. Some species stay throughout the harsh Icelandic winter, including the northern diver, the loom and various species of gulls and ducks.
Seals are often found along the shore, particularly around the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach. As with everywhere in Iceland, you should always keep an eye out to sea, as whales and dolphins reside all along its coastline.
Highlights of the South Coast
The South Coast offers an unprecedented array of natural wonders that draw thousands of visitors each day.
When driving the route from Reykjavík city, the first major features are the two great waterfalls of Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, which sit beneath the notorious subglacial volcano, Eyjafjallajökull. On clear days from these beautiful cascades, the Westman Islands can be seen across the ocean.
A little further down the route is the glacier Mýrdalsjökull, which covers one of Iceland’s most explosive volcanoes, Katla. Many glacier hikes are taken here upon the outlet of Sólheimajökull.
The aforementioned Dyrhólaey cliffs are next, home to many seabirds. Even if you come outside of puffin season, they are well worth a visit; jutting out to sea is an enormous rock arch of the same name, which you can marvel at from many angles.
Adjacent to the village of Vík is the famous black-sand beach, Reynisfjara, home to the rock pillars of Reynisdrangar, said to be two trolls frozen by the light of the sun. Though beautiful, this area is gaining notoriety for its dangerous sneaker waves, so visitors should be sure to stay well away from the edge of the water, even on a calm, still day.
There are no landmasses between Reynisfjara beach and the continent of Antarctica, so you can imagine how the waves can build momentum.
After passing through Vík, you will cross the glacial sand plain of Skeiðarársandur, before entering Vatnajökull National Park, home to the largest ice cap in Europe, Vatnajökull itself, dozens of glacial outlets and the magnificent Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon.
While almost all of these sites can be seen from Route 1, they make up a fraction of what the South Coast has to offer. The vast sand plains of Sólheimasandur are home to a crashed DC-3 Plane Wreck, and within the Vatnajökull National Park is the dramatic Skaftafell Nature Reserve.
Less than a kilometre from Seljalandsfoss is the hidden gem of Gljúfrabúi waterfall, and short distances from Jökulsárlón you will find the Diamond Beach, where icebergs wash on the black-sand shore, and another glacier lagoon, Fjallsárlón.
Photo by Regína Hrönn Ragnarsdóttir.
Kvernufoss is a waterfall with a drop of 30 metres (98 feet) in South Iceland. Considered a hidden gem, it rests in a gorge on the South Coast, close to one of Iceland’s most visited waterfalls Skógafoss.
Surroundings
The South Coast of Iceland has two famous waterfalls, which both sit right by the Ring Road that encircles the country. The first of these is Skógafoss, which is sixty metres tall and falls with immense power, and the second is Seljalandsfoss, famous for the large cavern behind it. It is far from correct to assume, however, that these are the only two worth visiting.
Although Kvernufoss is lesser-known and not immediately beside the Ring Road, it is still incredibly beautiful and easy to reach. As it is just thirty minute's walk from Skógafoss, it can be seen as somewhat of a counterpart to Gljúfrabúi, which is another hidden gem just a short way from Seljalandsfoss.
Description of Kvernufoss
Kvernufoss is a beautiful waterfall, tumbling from a height of thirty metres. It is partially concealed by moss-coated cliffs of lava rock, only adding to its visual appeal. Starting from Skógar Cultural Heritage Museum, a hiking trail of approximately 20 minutes leads into the gorge Kvernugil by the river Kverná. The river is not to be confused with Kverná on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
In the summer, you can walk all the way behind the waterfall and look out through its misty cascade. During the winter season, however, the slippery ice of the gorge and the risk of falling icicles prevent you from walking behind the falls.
What makes Kvernufoss particularly special, however, is the fact that it is overlooked on the vast majority of South Coast tours. It is also either ignored or mentioned only briefly in most literature about Icelandic sites. You are therefore unlikely to find the tourist crowds you inevitably get at the more famous locations throughout the year.
This will no doubt make your experience with Kvernufoss that much more special, and should be particularly of note to photographers who don't want strangers wandering into their frames.
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