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Lesa á íslenskuThis page is also written in íslenska.

Kvernufoss

A fall you can walk behind, hidden in a gorge ten minutes from one of Iceland's busiest waterfalls.

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WhereSouthern Region
Nearest citySkogar, adjacent; Vik about 35 km
Best seasonMay to September
Time to allowAn hour
Getting therePark at the Skogar museum and walk up the gorge behind it, about fifteen minutes
EntryFree; parking at the museum

Kvernufoss drops around thirty metres into a green gorge immediately behind the Skogar folk museum, and there is a ledge behind the curtain of water that lets you walk round and look out through it. Skogafoss is a kilometre away and takes coachloads all day; this one takes a fifteen minute walk up a stream and is often empty. The gorge is narrow and sheltered, so it holds grass and moss well up the walls. The path crosses a stile and follows the bank, easy going in dry weather and a mudslide after rain.

What you actually see

  • A thirty metre drop in a gorge - narrow, green and sheltered.
  • A ledge behind the water - the walk round to look out through the fall.
  • Fifteen minutes from a crowd - Skogafoss is a kilometre away.
  • A short stream path - stile, bank and the gorge mouth.

When to go

May to September; the path is icy and unsafe in winter. An hour.

Honest expectations

The ledge behind the fall is wet, slick and narrow, and getting there means scrambling on rock people regularly slip on. Spray soaks cameras. Parking is at the museum and expected to be paid for if you use its facilities. The path is mud after rain.

Nearby

Skogafoss is a kilometre west; Solheimajokull is east along the ring road.

What to pack for Kvernufoss

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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