A breathtakingly beautiful place lies hidden away in Þjórsárdalur valley upcountry in South Iceland. It is called Gjáin and is, for sure, one of Iceland's pearls of nature. It is a delicate beauty, which we have to preserve and treat with utter respect.
Rauðá river (Red River) runs through here. A lovely waterfall in the river, Gjárfoss falls cascades into the gorge of Gjáin. It is small, but ever so beautifully framed by the surroundings.
Top photo: Gjárfoss waterfall
Talking to the dweller in the waterfall
A relatively short, easy hike from the Viking settlement manor at Stöng takes you to Gjáin - and all of a sudden, this beautiful fairyland opens up with waterfalls, columnar basalt, and such lush vegetation. Here, one can find angelica in abundance.
Some of us, who live in Iceland, believe in elves and nature spirits, including me. I sometimes sense the waterfall dwellers/spirits, and I sensed the waterfall dweller/spirit very strongly at Gjárfoss and had a conversation with him.
My husband took my photo in front of the waterfall, not knowing that I was engaged in a deep conversation with the nature spirit of Gjárfoss, and the outcome was beautiful, as you can see from my photo by the waterfall :)
There is more in the world than we can see, and belief in elves and trolls was common in Iceland in the past, when people were more in touch with nature, without the distractions we have today.
Basalt cliffs at Gjáin
As you can see from my photos, they were taken during several visits to Gjáin, so some are sunny while others are not. I love sunny photos of Gjáin!
This is a lava area, and lava can create such spectacular formations. Here you will find several lava caves, and in this area, you will see beautiful columnar basalt and volcanic tuff.
We are located right by the central highland of Iceland, and one does not expect the landscape to be so breathtaking and lush here.
The other waterfall in Gjáin
The main river in Þjórsárdalur valley is the longest one in Iceland, the glacial river Þjórsá. Þjórsá ran through this area before a levee between Mt Sandafell and Mt Skeljafell redirected it.
Two small waterfalls cascade from the Rauðá river into the gorge - Gjárfoss and another smaller one, which you can see in the photo above.
I don't know its name, but it is possible to walk right up to it from the south side of Gjáin.
A lovely waterfall in Gjáin
Gjáin, this beautiful oasis, was a perfect filming location for the Water Dance scene featuring Arya and the Hound in the Game of Thrones series. And nothing had to be digitally altered.
I have written another travel blog about the Game of Thrones locations in Iceland:
The Extraordinary Game of Thrones Locations I have visited on my Travels in Iceland
Gjáin has seen a surge in visitors since the Game of Thrones scene was filmed here. Let's tread lightly in this delicate pearl of nature to keep it intact.
Gjáin as seen from above from the parking lot
There are two ways of hiking to Gjáin. One of them is from the settlement manor Stöng, which takes you to the northern part of Gjáin and the beautiful Gjárfoss waterfall. The hike is 2.1 km round-trip. It is an easy hike, 15 minutes each way.
When you arrive above Gjáin, the path becomes very rocky, and inside Gjáin it is even more so, so wear sturdy hiking shoes.
The other hike takes you to a parking lot on the south side of Gjáin, where you can walk down steps into this beautiful fairytale world.
From there, one can access the lava caves and the smaller waterfall. There are also clear sources of water coming from the lava.
It is ever so beautiful at Gjáin.
I have had such WOW moments here. It is just awesome finding such a hidden pearl in this barren desert. Here, one can see such beautiful lava structures, lava caves, columnar basalt, and several lava trolls.
It is so much fun walking around in this beautiful place, looking for troll images and faces in this lava wonderland.
It is possible to walk up to the small lava caves, which were used by men who were rounding up sheep.
This is my favourite photo of Gjáin :)
The Vikings inhabited this area until the volcano Hekla erupted in 1104, destroying some 22 settlement farms in the Þjórsárdalur valley. The close proximity to this notorious volcano did not make this area a favourable place in which to live.
A protruding rock looks like a big troll or an American Indian - it is a pure artwork of nature. You can walk up to it and have your photo taken in a hole in the middle of the rock.
I took the photo below of my friend Jórunn, a licensed guide who runs My Iceland Guide.
I joined here on a custom-made tour of Gjáin and Háifoss in her super jeep. I can recommend her family-run business; she is very knowledgeable about Iceland and knows all the elf and troll stories.
Jórunn at Gjáin
Be careful here, as the path, if you can even call it a path, leading to this rock, is very rocky, and you will have to step on and hold onto big rocks. This is nature after all.
On my visit to Gjáin in 2020, a tour guide told me that some decades ago, when he was guiding people in Gjáin, one of his clients had broken her arm while climbing these very rocks :(
Inside the lava arch at Gjáin
I have found two guided tours which include Gjáin:
Hot Springs & Game of Thrones Locations | Super Jeep Tour with a Night on the South Coast and the
Hidden Circle, which includes Gjáin and Háifoss waterfall, amongst many other interesting locations. I have joined the Hidden Circle and written a travel blog about it: The Secret Circle of Iceland - the Golden Circle with a very pleasant Twist.
Gjáin as seen from above
The road leading to Gjáin is a dirt road, and parts of it are very bumpy. A 4x4 is needed here.
Driving further up the road, it will take you either to the rough road leading to Háifoss waterfall or take you back to the paved road no 32.
This area is 136 km from Reykjavík, where you can rent a car, making it a lovely day trip from the city. Here is the location of Gjáin on Google Maps.
This is a summer visit unless you have a guide. 
Gjáin as seen from above - the lava cave is huge
See also other places in this area which are worth a visit:
Stöng - Ruins of a Real Viking Settlement Manor and the Reconstructed Saga-Age Farm in Iceland
Háifoss Fall and the beautiful Waterfalls in the Fossá River in Iceland
Landmannalaugar, the Pearl of the Central Highland of Iceland
Please let's treat this beautiful place with the utmost respect and leave it for others to enjoy as much as we who love it do.
In 2020, Gjáin, along with Háifoss, Granni, and Hjálparfoss waterfalls, was designated a protected area.
Have a lovely time at Gjáin :)
