Skógafoss Waterfall

Skógafoss drops 60 meters over what was once a sea cliff, spreading 25 meters wide as the Skógá river spills over the edge in a single, powerful sheet. A staircase of 527 steps climbs the cliff beside the falls to a platform at the top, giving views back down over the falls and out across the flat coastal farmland toward the sea; the top of the staircase also marks the start of the Fimmvörðuháls hiking trail toward Þórsmörk. At the base, the volume of falling water throws up a constant spray that soaks anyone standing close, and on sunny days this spray regularly produces a rainbow, occasionally a double rainbow, directly in front of the falls. Local folklore holds that a Viking settler hid a treasure chest in a cave behind the waterfall, later glimpsed but never fully retrieved. The small Skógar Museum nearby has an extensive collection of turf houses and folk artifacts. A visit to the base and the climb to the top typically takes about an hour to 90 minutes. Being directly beside the Ring Road on the South Coast, Skógafoss draws heavy visitor numbers throughout the day in summer, with the base area busiest around midday tour groups; the staircase thins out crowds since fewer visitors make the full climb.