Svartifoss

Svartifoss is not large, but the rock behind it is the reason people walk up. The water falls about twenty metres over a recess lined with dark hexagonal basalt columns, broken off at the base into a jagged fringe where spray has undercut them. The path from the Skaftafell visitor centre climbs steadily for roughly 1.5 km, passing two smaller falls on the way, and takes most people about forty minutes. Skaftafell is part of Vatnajokull National Park, and the same trail network continues to Sjonarnipa, a viewpoint over the Skaftafellsjokull glacier tongue. The column formation is often cited as an influence on modern Icelandic architecture.

What you actually see

• The basalt colonnade - hexagonal columns framing and overhanging the fall.
• The broken fringe - snapped column ends at the lip, undercut by spray.
• The approach path - the climb past Hundafoss and Magnusarfoss from the visitor centre.
• Sjonarnipa - the trail continuation to a viewpoint over the Skaftafellsjokull glacier tongue.

When to go

May to September for a dry path and long daylight. The fall is modest in volume rather than dependent on high water, so timing matters less than footing. Start early: the visitor centre car park is a fixed point on most coach itineraries and the narrow platform below the fall gets crowded from mid-morning onwards.

Honest expectations

It is an uphill walk in each direction and the last section is stepped and often wet. The waterfall itself is small; visitors expecting something on the scale of Skogafoss are usually underwhelmed. Parking is charged and enforced. The viewing area is tight, so photographs without other people in them take patience.

Nearby

Skaftafellsjokull is on the same trail network, with Kirkjubaejarklaustur west along the ring road.