Nature
Goðafoss
Region: North IcelandCoordinates: 65.6800° N, 17.5400° W
Goðafoss is a horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót river in North Iceland, dropping about 12 meters over a 30-meter-wide curved rim. It sits directly beside the Ring Road roughly 45 minutes from Akureyri, making it one of the most accessible major waterfalls in the country.
Plan the stop
- Who it suits
- All ages
- All ages; paths are flat and paved, though railings are limited right at the canyon edge so young children should be supervised near the rim.
- Allow
- 45 min
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · Full
- Paved, mostly flat paths run along both banks of the falls with multiple viewing platforms and a footbridge connecting them, and the main west-bank viewpoint is reached via a level 400m paved trail with free accessible parking nearby.
- Limited mobility · Full
- Close parking, paved paths, and multiple nearby viewpoints make this one of the easier waterfall stops.
- Sensory · Partial
- Water noise, spray, wind, and tour-bus crowding can be noticeable but are usually manageable.
- Cognitive · Full
- Clear paths and visible platforms make navigation simple.
Why it matters
According to a widely told (though historically unverified) legend, the lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði threw statues of the Norse pagan gods into the falls after Iceland's assembly voted to adopt Christianity around 999-1000 AD, giving the waterfall its name, 'waterfall of the gods.' The falls gained formal protected status in 2020.