Waterfall

A trip to Iceland cannot be relaxed. It will make you up sit up, and seriously watch out for what it has to offer. And believe me, you won’t be able to take your eyes off either! It opens a window to a nature unseen, unthought of and unimaginable. I am still fishing for superlative adjectives to describe its magnificence, because for me, ‘stunning’ and ‘spectacular’ may fall a little short in doing justice to its beyond-extraordinary, mega-impressive and super-prolific beauty. Nature, beyond doubt, has all weapons its her armoury to make one go speechless.

There is just plenty to write about Iceland. It is a country of volcanoes, craters, glaciers, waterfalls, natural hot springs, ice lagoons, lava caves, and so much more that I didn’t know where to begin. Finally I decided to dedicate this post to something that besieged our way all around at every step in Iceland – its waterfalls. We did a complete round trip along the Ring Road, and oh, boy, there were waterfalls everywhere! and how beautiful at that!

There are over 10,000 waterfalls in Iceland, and we visited some of the most gorgeous ones that this little island country is so deservedly famous for. They distinctly ranged from being dreamy, magical, delightful to being ferocious, gigantic, and sinister.

Waterfalls in the South

Gulfoss

The intriguing and iconic double-waterfall of Gulfoss, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland. It is a part of the Golden Circle Tour, in the Southwest, which covers the Þingvellir National Park, and the Geysir Geothermal Area too. These are all within easy distance from Reykjavik.

img_3336-1 — *The double-waterfall of Gulfoss*

img_3340-1

Seljalandfoss

An extremely mesmerizing waterfall in the Southern region of Iceland is Seljalandfoss. It’s really one of its kinds as it has a path through the rocks which leads behind the waterfall, where you can go and take pictures. Be careful, as the path is a bit slippery, so one must have proper shoes and a waterproof jacket / raincoat to keep from getting wet.

A visit to this fall gave us some of the most lovely moments. There was a time when we found ourselves at the foot of the rainbow! Yes, it was not in the sky, it was on the ground, coming to life when the setting sun right in front offered its radiance to the waterfall. How would it feel to hold the rainbow in your arms, or walk while it colours every step of yours. Well, I know now!

img_3339-1 — *Magnificent sight of the rainbow splitting across Seljalandfoss*

Skógafoss

Another beautiful waterfall in the Southern region of Iceland is Skógafoss, and can be easily covered along with Seljalandfoss as they are only 30 kms apart in distance. You can easily walk upto the fall, and it can be really overwhelming standing next to it considering its 60m height and the force it falls with.

Waterfalls in the North-East

Godafoss

One of my personal favourites on the trip was the Godafoss waterfall (or the waterfall of the Gods), which lies in the North-eastern region of Iceland. It’s picturesque and spectacular beauty is such that it has many professional photographers with their tripods hooked onto the best viewpoints for hours. A bit annoying for the rest of the visitors, but I’m happy I got a few nice images 🙂 If you can avoid the rush hours, you can dwell in its celestial beauty in peace. This fall really makes a visit up there a big worth!

*Waterfall of the Gods. When Iceland embraced Christianity, one of the religious priests threw away the idols of native gods into the waterfall, hence its name.*

Dettifoss

The giant waterfall in the north-east Iceland has been named the most powerful one in Europe. It was the one to leave me completely overwhelmed by its magnitude and the loud roars. The sound still resonates in my ears, so sharp and clear. If you’ve watched the movie ‘Prometheus’, you’ve seen this one in the opening clip. I can personally not get over this ‘beast’ easily, as the locals call it.

img_3337-1 — *S is minion-ized against the giant Dettifoss!*

img_3342-1 — *The locals rightly call it a ‘Beast’*

Selfoss

Another of nature’s delight, or may be a scare. Well, it left me with quite a shiver. Selfoss was about a kilometer from Dettifoss, and had us walking over a blanket of rough boulders on the way, following the marked signs.

It was a long series of waterfalls, showcasing the immense power and energy within, leading to dissipation of a dense mist where the water fell with maximum force. It won’t be easy to forget the sight. Being able to get so close, for the first time, felt really insignificant witnessing the nature’s devastating power!