Sigoldugljufur
A highland canyon whose wall of small waterfalls exists because a power scheme changed where the water goes.
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Sigoldugljufur is a narrow canyon of dark rock with a line of slender waterfalls coming out of one wall into blue-green water, and it looks entirely natural until you know its history: the row of falls appeared after the Sigalda hydroelectric scheme of the 1970s altered groundwater and drainage in the area, so this is a landscape made by accident. It is sometimes called the valley of tears for the way the water comes out of the moss in threads. The canyon is a short walk from the track and can be seen from the rim in twenty minutes, though the path along the top is loose in places.
What you actually see
- A row of falls from one wall - water emerging from moss in threads.
- Blue-green water below - against dark canyon rock.
- A landscape made by accident - the falls followed the Sigalda scheme of the 1970s.
- A short walk in - the rim is close to the track.
When to go
July to early September while F208 is open. Two to three hours.
Honest expectations
Reaching it means highland tracks and F-road rules; small hire cars are not permitted. The rim is unfenced and undercut. Moss here takes decades to recover from footprints. No facilities of any kind.
Nearby
Ljotipollur is close by; Landmannalaugar is up the same road.
What to pack for Sigoldugljufur
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
