Kolugljufur Canyon

Kolugljufur is a gorge about a kilometre long cut by the Vididalsa, with the river coming down through the head of it in a set of broad steps rather than one drop. A road bridge crosses right at the top, which means the walk from the car to the first view takes under a minute, and rough paths run along the rim on both sides. Local legend gives the place to a troll woman called Kola, who is said to have lived in the gorge and pulled salmon out of it. It is still a salmon river, leased to anglers, so the water below is private even though the rim above is not.

What you actually see

• The stepped falls - the river dropping through the head of the gorge over several broad ledges.
• The bridge - the road crossing directly above the falls, and the usual viewpoint.
• The rim paths - unfenced tracks along both sides of the canyon.
• The gorge walls - layered rock cut down sharply over a short distance.

When to go

May to September for the easiest access; the rim paths are slick and genuinely dangerous under snow and ice. Flow is heaviest during the spring melt and the gorge is loudest then. It sits a short detour from the ring road in the north, so it works as a break on a long driving day rather than a destination of its own.

Honest expectations

The paths along the rim have no fence and the ground is undercut in places, which is a real hazard in wind or wet. Twenty minutes covers everything there is to see, so the detour is only worth it if you are passing anyway. Parking is a small gravel patch. Anglers have the river and walking down to the water is not welcome.

Nearby

Hvammstangi and the Vatnsnes peninsula are north, and the ring road runs past the mouth of the valley.