Skógafoss

South Coast

Skógafoss drops 60 meters over a cliff that was Iceland's coastline thousands of years ago; the sea has since pulled back roughly five kilometers, leaving a line of old sea cliffs running inland along the South Coast. The Skógá river feeds it year-round, and the falls are wide enough (about 25 meters) and heavy enough that spray hangs in the air constantly — on a sunny afternoon there is almost always a rainbow, and often a double, arcing across the base. Flat gravel leads from the car park right up to the foot of the falls, close enough to soak you. A steep metal staircase climbs the cliff beside the water to a viewing platform at the lip, where you look straight down the drop and out over the farmland toward the sea. From there the path continues as the Fimmvörðuháls trail, passing a string of smaller waterfalls that most day-trippers never walk to. Skógafoss sits right beside Route 1 at the hamlet of Skógar, about two hours from Reykjavík, is free, and is open at any hour. It is also one of the South Coast's busiest stops — come before mid-morning or in the evening if you want it without tour-bus crowds. The Skógar folk museum next door is a decent backup if the weather turns.

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