Skógafoss waterfall is just 30 kilometers away from Seljalandsfoss. Its beauty takes your breath away and it has become one of my favourite waterfalls on the island. Why? Because it was the second waterfall in Iceland I could get really close to; it’s very powerful and the its sound is enchanting; the water vapor that rises creates beautiful rainbows all day long to the great excitement of the rainbow hunter in me.

The waterfall is 60 meters tall, 25 meters wide and you can actually reach its top by climbing the 527 stairs which take you uphill. The view is amazing, but not really recommended for those with fear of heights. But fret not, the waterfall is delightful if you watch it from the ground as well and if you don’t mind getting a little wet you can actually walk all the way right up to it. Some of my dearest pictures in Iceland were taken here.

The saga of Skógafoss waterfall

There’s an Icelandic saga that says that Þrasi Þórólfsson (Thrasi Thorolfsson), the first Viking settler in the area, hid a chest full of gold and precious stones behind the waterfall and a long time ago you could still see one of its corners peeking out of the water. The story goes that in the 17th century, the local farmer Ámundi’s three sons decided to pull out the chest full of riches, but just as they were trying to remove it, they saw that their farm was going up in flames. They rushed back only to realize that it was just their eyes playing tricks on them. Even more determined, they returned to the waterfall, tied a chain to one of the handles and attempted to pull the treasure out. As they were pulling with all their strength, the handle broke loose and the treasure went deep into the water never to be seen again. The alleged solid gold handle was mounted for a while on the local church door as a testament to the saga and can now we seen exhibited at the Skókar museum.

How to get to Skógafoss waterfall

The waterfall is visible from Ring Road (Route 1) and the parking lot is about a kilometer away from the main road. It’s a two hours drive from Reykjavik and can safely be done in a day trip that also includes the beautiful Seljalandsfoss. Fun fact: you’re gonna be passing past the now infamous Eyjafjallajökull on your way as it’s really near and you can also visit a small museum dedicated to its 2010 eruption.