Glymur Waterfall

Glymur is Iceland's second-highest waterfall at 198 meters, tucked into a deep, narrow canyon at the head of Hvalfjörður fjord in West Iceland, and reaching it requires one of the more adventurous day hikes in the country rather than a roadside stop. The trail climbs through a canyon carved by the Botnsá river, passing through a section of cave that hikers scramble through, a wooden bridge or wade across the river depending on water levels, and a steep, exposed section of loose scree near the canyon rim before the falls come into full view. Round trip, the hike covers roughly 7 kilometers and takes about three hours, gaining significant elevation along narrow, sometimes muddy paths with drop-offs close to the trail in places. Because the approach demands more effort than most other Icelandic waterfalls, and the trailhead sits off the Ring Road down a fjord detour, Glymur attracts far fewer visitors than falls like Gullfoss or Seljalandsfoss even though it ranks among the tallest in the country. The reward is a series of dramatic viewpoints looking straight down the canyon at the full drop, framed by moss-covered rock walls, along with quiet birdlife and the sound of the river far below.