Водопад Скогафосс на юге Исландии

Skogafoss is a waterfall that no one misses when driving along the ring road in Iceland. This waterfall can be seen from afar, no wonder its image is one of the business cards and symbols of Iceland.

There is a campsite near the waterfall and you can watch the wall of falling water directly from the tent or from the camper.

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This waterfall in the south of Iceland is located on the rocks of the former coastline. After the sea retreated due to the rise of the land, the rocks that used to be the coast were exposed and now the river flowing from two glaciers breaks right off them: Eyafjodlokudl and Mirddaljokudl. Skogafoss is located in the south of the country on the Skog River, which originates from glaciers.

The width of the waterfall is 25 meters, the height of the water drop is about 60 meters. Due to the large amount of spray and water dust generated by the waterfall, on sunny days it is almost always possible to observe a single and sometimes double rainbow.

If you go up to the top of the waterfall Skogafos up 370 steps, you will be rewarded with an impressive view of the coast of Southern Iceland. The route to the Fimmvorduhals pass also starts here. Several well-known hiking trails pass through the pass. On the other side of the pass is the most picturesque valley of the Tórsmörk.

According to legend, a Viking named Tracy Tourolfsson hid his gold under falling water. Many people tried to find a chest of gold, and one young man almost succeeded. He tied the rope to the handle of the chest and pulled. But I only took out the ring and the chest was gone. The ring is now stored in The Skougar Museum, located in the village of the same name near the waterfall.

There are a lot of salmon and char fish in the river under the waterfall. Don't be surprised to see fishermen fishing on the river from July to October.

How to get to the Skogafoss waterfall?

Skogafoss is a two-hour drive from Reykjavik (155 km) and 28 km from Seljalandsfoss. Follow the ring road east of Reykjavik and eventually you will see a waterfall from the road. Turn left to get to the parking lot, which is about a kilometer from the main road.

Of course, you can get to the waterfall by bus, but still the best means of transportation in Iceland is a car. And read about the nuances of renting a car ->

Car rental in Iceland - tips and tricks

Car rental in Iceland - tips and tricks

Rent a car in Iceland - how to choose proper car, what is the cost of renting a car, is it worth taking full insurance, where you can drive a car, and where you have t...

If you prefer organized tours, then an excellent and inexpensive option may be an all-day tour along the Southern coast of Iceland.

Is there an entrance fee for the passage to the waterfall?

No, visiting the waterfall is free. Parking in 2019 was also free, but this may change.

Where to spend the night in the vicinity of the waterfall?

There is a campsite right by the Skogafoss Waterfall, where travelers can stay for a relatively small fee. Learn more about camping in Iceland:

Camping in Iceland

Camping in Iceland

If you decide to go to Iceland and want to see the nature of this beautiful island, then you can live in a hotel, in a mobile home or in a tent at a campsite. Camping ...

In addition to camping, there are several guesthouses and a small hotel in the village. To find a place to live in Iceland, you can use both traditional booking.com , airbnb, and Icelandic aggregators - for example guideToIceland

Fimmvorduhals - Skogafoss hiking trail

As mentioned earlier, Skogafoss can be either the starting or ending point of one of the most popular hiking trails in Iceland, Fimmvorduhals. The route is about 25 km long. It can be completed in 1 day or two days. Hiking is only available in the summer.