Skógafoss

The Wall of Water

The Skógafoss is a 25-meter wide, 60-meter high wall of water — mighty, thundering, majestic. It is located directly on the Ring Road near the village of Skógar and is one of Iceland's most impressive waterfalls. In sunshine, double rainbows regularly form in the spray — the mist is so dense that rainbows are more frequently seen here than at almost any other waterfall in the world.

The Viking Legend

According to legend, the Viking Þrasi Þórólfsson hid a chest full of gold behind the waterfall. Centuries later, a boy found the ring on the side of the chest — he pulled, but the ring broke off, and the chest remained hidden. The ring is now on display at the Skógar Museum (right next to the waterfall), but the treasure was never found. Some say it still lies there, behind the wall of water, where no human can reach.

Skógar Museum (Byggðasafnið á Skógum)

Right next to the waterfall is one of Iceland's best open-air museums. Over 15,000 regional artifacts, including historic turf houses, an old school, a church, and fishing equipment. Curator Þórður Tómasson collected for over 50 years — the result is a fascinating panorama of Icelandic rural life over the past centuries. Admission: 2,500 ISK (17€).

Staircase and Fimmvörðuháls Trail

A staircase with 370 steps (yes, you feel every single one!) leads to the cliff above the waterfall — the view from above over the south coast, the waterfall, and the endless black sand beach is breathtaking. From here also starts the legendary Fimmvörðuháls hiking trail (25 km, 8–10h), which leads between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull to Þórsmörk.

The hike passes by 26 waterfalls (each smaller than the previous, but each beautiful in its own right), through a lava field created during the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in 2010, and finally down into the green paradise of Þórsmörk. It is one of the most beautiful day hikes in the world — but only feasible in summer (July–August) and in good weather. When in doubt: Book a guided tour.

Eyjafjallajökull in the Background

From Skógafoss, you can see Eyjafjallajökull in the distance — the volcano that brought European air traffic to a standstill for six days in 2010 with its ash cloud, stranding 10 million passengers. The eruption itself was geologically rather small, but the ash cloud was carried by the jet stream over all of Europe. Icelanders found the international excitement amusing — and enjoyed watching news anchors worldwide struggle with the name. The correct pronunciation: “EI-ja-fjat-la-JÖ-kutl".