Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss – Southern Iceland’s Most Popular Waterfalls

No trip along Iceland’s southern coast is complete without stopping at at least one of the stunning waterfalls that can be found right off the side of the road. Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss are two of the most popular falls in all of Iceland. They’re beautiful examples of the beauty and the power of the natural sites in Iceland. Let’s take a closer look at them.

Skogafoss

Distance from Reykjavik ⋙ 149 km / 93 miles

This gorgeous waterfall is definitely impressive. At over 80 feet wide and with an almost 200 foot drop, this waterfall is quite large! The cliffs surrounding the waterfall is where the sea used to be. Skóga River flowed into the ocean here, but now that the sea has receded, it has created this beauty. The flow is so powerful that you start feeling the spray from several yards away! On sunny days, they say that the mist frequently causes rainbows and even double rainbows. The name of the waterfall comes from the name of the river (Skóga) and the Icelandic word for waterfall (boss). You’ll see the word foss all over Iceland.

The parking area is very close to the Skogafoss and they have small bridges to cross the stream that leads out to the new shoreline.

Staring up at the top of the cliff was actually my favorite part of the falls. I love the even, soft-looking flow over the rugged cliff edge. I also love the green and yellow mosses covering the cliffs.

Just cheesin’ in front of the falls.

Something unique about the falls is the stairs that go up the edge of the cliff so you can go up near the top of the falls. You can see dots on the photo [right] that are people taking in the view from above. We were racing daylight to see as much as possible so we didn’t take the time to go up. I bet it quite the view though.

Seljalandsfoss

Distance from Reykjavik ⋙ 121 kilometers / 75 miles

This waterfall, although not as wide, is actually even taller than Skogafoss. Similarly named, it’s named for the runoff from Seljalandsá River. This waterfall can be enjoyed from every angle. The walking trail goes on either side, in front of and behind the falls. It was frigid the day we were here and the wind + sleet was blowing insanely hard. So, we definitely opted to stay dryer, and therefore warmer, by skipping the walk behind the falls. It was also really slick and we saw a lady leaving holding her wrist. It just seemed like a day to enjoy it from the front.

We saw many people take their photos of this main waterfall and ran back to their car or tour bus. However, if you continue down the trail that goes in front of this water there are even more waterfalls to enjoy. Don’t miss out on those!

The view walking back toward Seljalansfoss.

If you have more than 48 hours in Iceland, don’t miss these beauties. Visiting Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss are one of the many natural highlights of this stunning island country.

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