Godafoss Waterfall Iceland

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About Godafoss Iceland

Godafoss is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland and it is easily accessible next to road 1. The water from the river Skjálfandafljót drops from a height of 12 meters. What I find beautiful is the elegant 30 meter wide horseshoe shape and the big rock separating the flow in the middle.

A little bit of the Godafoss History...

The Godafoss Waterfall got its name during year 999 or 1000 when Christianity was declared the official religion of Iceland. After that the local Lawspeker threw his statues of the Norse pagan gods into the waterfall. Hence the ‘waterfall of gods’.

How to get to Godafoss Location

• In North Iceland
• Along road 1 between Aukureyri and Myvatn, 50 km from Akureyri. You really cannot miss it. The ‘town’ is called Fossholl.
• The West side parking is before the bridge (when driving east towards Myvatn)
• Godafoss (with GPS coordinates, is included in both eBooks:

Admiring the Godafoss Waterfall

• Left side Views (east side, where the station, café and guesthouse are) – 5/10 min small trail and the option to get either to a lower or a higher view point. Attention it is a the path to get down is short but steps and not that easy
• Right side Views (west side) – views next to the parking, possibility to get very close but attention it is slippery.
• Most of the tourists go to the parking on the West side.
• At sunset on the East side I had the waterfall all to myself!
• Next to the café there is a bridge to cross the river if you wish to leave your car on one side. From the bridge you can see a small waterfall called Geitafoss.
• There is a nice café souvenir shop with toilets
• It is accessible year round – it is also breathtaking in Winter covered in snow and ice, check some stunning shots of Godafoss on My Modern Met
• And Check out my complete article with detailed suggestions and tips on what to wear and pack for Iceland to stay warm and comfortable

Where to stay near Godafoss

GODAFOSS FROM THE BASE OF THE EAST SIDE

On the East side (where the café and station are), there is a short trail and a small path to climb down and admire the stunning waterfall from its base. It is not easy with big rocks but it is only 12 m height…

I was alone waiting for sunset and could sometimes spot people getting very close on the other side which gave me this shot with nice silhouettes, one of my favorite pictures from my trip through Iceland:

And from this location, have a look at the basalt formations:

GODAFOSS FROM THE TOP OF THE EAST SIDE

As I started freezing at the bottom of the waterfall and was wondering if there were more interesting colors with a different angles (as the sun has disappeared), I climbed back up the East Bank of the fall. 

The sun was not in the right position late afternoon but it was great once the sun had set with the remaining colors behind the waterfall.

GODAFOSS WATERFALL FROM THE WEST SIDE

The next day, in the morning, I stopped on the West side where you get a better view of the flow separation. I think if you have a little bit of time, you should visit both side of the waterfall.

Then you can drive to Aldeyjarfoss, an off the path waterfall on the same river which requires some dirt road and 4 WD driving.

THE BRIDGE UNDER THE STARS

As I was staying at the guesthouse near the falls I went out to take some photos of the stars. Sadly the station next to the bridge was too bright and I decided it was not reasonable for me to walk the trail to the waterfall in the dark as I was very tired. The second picture was taken from the bridge with Geitafoss.

Want to see more of Iceland's beauty?

Discover more things to do and places to see in Iceland in my online Iceland Destination Guide.

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