Summer is over and I’m officially back to work. The first few days before students arrive is filled with meetings, planning, and sweaty work like painting your room. But my favorite thing during these days is catching up with fellow staff members and sharing our summer adventures. Though we spent 12 days in Ireland and barely 2 in Iceland, those few precious hours are the most fun to relive.
As Ken mentioned, he did a ton of leg work and plotted out our course to maximize our time. We spent our time in the Southern part of Iceland from Reykjavik to Skogafoss (which is about 30 km West of Vic) and the Golden Circle. Though we focused on the Golden Circle (more to come on that), it was our first tastes of Iceland that are the most memorable.
Seljalandsfoss
Foss is the Icelandic word for waterfall and this one is mighty! You can spot it a long way off through a field of lupine. It is a 213 feet fall that gives you full access with a path behind the water. It was the first waterfall we visited and it was spectacular!
Tip:
*Be prepared to get wet and for it to be busy. Bus loads of people visit, but though crowded, the experience wasn’t spoiled. In fact, people are more than happy to take pictures of you. But make sure you walk along the path leading West of the waterfall….you’ll be delighted by smaller water fun offs framed by lovely yellow flowers.
*Take your time walking behind this waterfall. There are plenty of photo and selfie opportunities. Enjoy the power and beauty of this waterfall
*Try to wear non slip shoes. The rocks can be slippery and we wouldn’t want you to slip on your behind.
Gljufrabui
Continue walking a few minutes West of Seljalandsfoss on a well marked, but little traveled path, brings you to the coolest waterfall. Gljufrabui translates to canyon dweller and is the perfect name for this gem. Hidden behind a cliff, it first appears to be falling into the mountain and inaccessible. But a crack allows the adventurous to wade through the stream, into the cavern and as close to the falls as you are willing to go. It was breathtaking to look straight up the 131 feet tall green mossy walls to watch the water cascade down. If you’re lucky, you may have a few moments to yourself to revel in one of the best kept secrets. There is a campground nearby and you can climb to the top of the waterfall (which we didn’t only because I didn’t know we could at that time).
Tips:
*You will definitely get wet…but that’s half the fun. It was cold and drizzly we went went and the spray from the water was perfect.
*Make sure to where good shoes. There are a few larger rocks that create a path through the stream, but they are slippery. There’s a good chance you’ll end with a foot or two in the cold water. Also, the rocks near and under the waterfall are extremely slippery.
Skogafoss
I don’t think I could pick a favorite waterfall for each one was unique and beautiful, but it was here that I fell in love with Iceland. As one of the biggest falls in Iceland falling 196 feet and 82 feet wide, it demonstrates the raw power of nature. It is the only fall in the Skoga river and cuts through the green landscape. You can walk as close to the falls as you dare (we didn’t dare much), but you’ll feel the spray from a distance. I loved watching it roll and settle into the lower river. Ken, always the more courageous one of our duo, walked almost to the edge of the plunging falls and he looked so small…putting the enormity of it into perspective. Though he did not get close enough to discover if the folktale legend was true of a treasure chest laid beneath the falls. After climbing about a thousand steps (only 370, but still) that wound their way up the mountain next to grazing sheep, you find yourself at the very top of the falls. It is this view that I always call to mind when I think of Iceland. A path leading through a cow gate takes you up the river and past a number of smaller falls. It’s said you can hike along the river to the the glaciers that form the Skoga river. That is definitely going on our Iceland to-do list.
Tip:
* Take time to explore the area above the falls. The further you get from the drop, the less people you encounter. There are little paths leading close to the water and a number of photo-worthy spots. I was so overwhelmed with the beauty that I can to just sit on the wet grass and take it all in for a while.
* If you can, go on a sunny day. Supposedly a full rainbow is often seen at the base of the falls. But don’t let the weather stop you from enjoying an amazing spot.
* If you’re there in June or July, make sure to view the falls from the lupine fields across the main road of the entrance.
Waterfalls Everywhere
Traveling back the way we came (even though Ken was adamant that we were not gong to backtrack) to our little cabin for the night was memorable. For miles the road ran parallel to the mountains and countless numbers of smaller, nameless waterfalls running could been seen. They ran behind people’s property, next to sheep idling grazing in green foothills, and created a backdrop to remember.
There is more to Iceland than just waterfalls, but each one is worth a trip to!
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