Gullfoss

Golden Circle

The Hvítá river drops at Gullfoss in two stages — 11 metres, then 21 metres — and the second plunges into a narrow crevice at a near-right angle to the first, making the river appear to vanish into the earth. The Hvítárgljúfur canyon around it reaches up to 70 metres deep. On sunny days spray carries a rainbow almost continuously; in winter ice formations build up around the still-flowing core. Gullfoss is fed by Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest glacier, with roughly 140 cubic metres passing over every second in summer. Two paths give different angles — the upper one offers the overview used in most photographs, the lower path descends toward the crevice rim and gets you wet. Sigríður Tómasdóttir, daughter of a local farmer, campaigned in the early 20th century against plans to sell the falls for hydroelectric development; her memorial stands at the site. Gullfoss became a conservation area in 1979. The car park has a café and gift shop. The falls are on Route 35 about 120 kilometres east of Reykjavík, roughly two hours by road, and are free and open year-round.

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