Bjarnarfoss

Bjarnarfoss drops off the escarpment above Budir on the southern side of Snaefellsnes, a narrow fall of around eighty metres coming over a band of basalt columns, with a second smaller drop below. Because the fall is thin and the cliff faces the open sea, wind coming in off Faxafloi frequently catches it and drives the water sideways or back up, which is the thing people stop for. A stepped path with a viewing platform was built from the car park, so the walk up takes ten minutes. The site was named a protected natural monument, and the view back from the platform takes in Budir and the black church on the lava.

What you actually see

• An eighty metre fall over columns - narrow, in two stages.
• Water driven sideways - wind off Faxafloi catching the thin flow.
• A stepped path and platform - ten minutes up from the road.
• Budir below - the lava field and its black church.

When to go

May to September for the path in good condition. An hour.

Honest expectations

In dry spells the flow reduces to very little. The steps are exposed and the wind that makes the fall interesting also makes standing there unpleasant. The platform is small and fills with a single group. Facilities are a car park.

Nearby

Budir is below; Arnarstapi and Hellnar are west along the coast.