Skógafoss
Region: South IcelandCoordinates: 63.5321° N, 19.5111° W
Skógafoss is a 60-meter-high, 25-meter-wide waterfall on the Skógá River at the village of Skógar, sitting on a cliff that marks Iceland's former coastline before the sea retreated about 5 kilometers. On sunny days the spray routinely produces a single or double rainbow, and a staircase climbs to a viewing platform at the top of the falls.
Plan the stop
- Who it suits
- All ages
- All ages at the base; the long unguarded staircase to the top is better suited to children old enough to climb steadily and hold a rail.
- Allow
- 45 min
Accessibility
- Wheelchair · Partial
- The base area is flat and straightforward from the adjacent parking area and can be enjoyed by many wheelchair users, but the upper viewpoint is reached only by a steep staircase and has no accessible alternative.
- Limited mobility · Partial
- The base is easy from parking, but the top viewpoint requires a long stair climb.
- Sensory · Partial
- Spray, roar, wind, and crowded photo areas can be intense near the base.
- Cognitive · Partial
- The site layout is simple, but the stair climb and river-edge areas require supervision.
Why it matters
Local legend holds that the Viking settler Þrasi Þórólfsson hid a treasure chest in a cave behind the falls; villagers who later found it managed only to pull free a ring on its side, said to have become the door-ring of Skógar's church and now displayed in the nearby Skógar Museum. The cliff line at the falls forms the geological boundary between Iceland's coastal lowlands and its interior highlands.