“When you put your hand in a flowing stream, you touch the last that has gone before and the first of what is still to come.” – Leonardo da Vinci
10,000.
That’s how many waterfalls flow throughout Iceland. And with the consistent melting of the icecaps, more continue to form, each as unique and beautiful as the previous. I have to admit, I was a bit giddy and really looking forward to seeing them even before we began our trip. After watching footage of their raw power, and hearing the locals rave about them, I couldn’t wait to get up close and see them first hand.
Our first waterfall adventure was to Gullfoss which translates to "Golden Falls," and is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland. The river Ölfusá feeds into Gullfoss and creates this unique three-tiered waterfall. While the first two tiers are around 10m and 20 meters high, the final tier drops off into huge 1.6 mile canyon.
I wanted to get a little further closer to the edge and get a shot of the canyon, but the ground is unstable and it's a direct 1.6 mile drop down.
The conditions definitely weren't the greatest. So much so they even had signs with areas closed.
However, if on the off chance you brought your unicylce, you could venture up the narrow, steep, slippery path with no ledge. Too bad I left mine at home :(
Our second waterfall adventure found us awestruck standing behind Seljalandsfoss. This waterfall, located in the south western region of Iceland is roughly 59m high. Fun fact: it was also featured in the Justin Bieber music video "I'll Show You."
Hearing the loud roars of water falling hundreds of feet above, feeling the rumbling crash as it collides with rocks below, being completely engulfed by its mist. This is what it is to experience the waterfalls of Iceland.
Our third visit was to one of the largest waterfalls of Iceland: Skógafoss. Just a width around 50 feet, and a drop of around 200 feet, it creates the perfect setting to see a rainbow at the bottom, with just the right lighting. Fortunately for us, we visited on a sunny day and were able to get some amazing shots!
You can see how massive this really is from far away. Everyone is just completely dwarfed by it.
I wanted to get a picture at the top of the waterfall so we hiked our way up. So glad I did, I love this picture!
Here's just a little clip showing this crazy "mist screen" the waterfall creates based on how the water flows and hits the bottom. It reflects the sunlight and leaves a gorgeous rainbow. I'm still blown away...
Although this blog is dedicated to the waterfalls, on our way up the freeway we passed by some Icelandic horses, and just couldn't resist getting out and saying hello.
We quickly became friends, either that or they just really liked the snacks we gave them. Regardless, they are such beautiful animals. Notice the thick fur coat? they definitely need it with the extreme weather patterns, especially during the winter.
That wraps up part 3 of the Iceland Adventure Series. In part 4, we explore the black lava rock beaches, caves and go swimming in the Blue Lagoon!
Stay tuned!