Selfoss Waterfall — Iceland

About this spectacle

Selfoss is a broad, powerful waterfall on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river in northeast Iceland, located in the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon within Vatnajökull National Park. Unlike its more famous downstream neighbor Dettifoss, Selfoss is wide and relatively shallow, cascading in a sweeping curtain of white water across a horseshoe-shaped basalt ledge. The roar of the glacial river fills the canyon as fine mist drifts across the dark volcanic rock. Visitors walk along a gravel trail through a raw, treeless landscape of moss-covered boulders and rugged canyon walls. The contrast of steel-grey basalt, turquoise-tinted glacial water, and white foam creates striking photographic compositions. In summer, the low-angle Arctic sun angles dramatically across the canyon. In winter, ice formations cling to the edges of the falls, and the frozen silence of the landscape adds a different, austere character.

When to go

Jun — Sep, peak Jun — Aug

Getting there

Nearest airport: EGS. Nearest city: Akureyri.

Booking options

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