Many people I talk to say they come to Iceland to see the northern lights. This is kind of risky. Please don’t get me wrong; the aurora borealis is terrific. However, they are elusive. Perhaps it is smarter to come to Iceland for its waterfalls. They are plentiful and reliable. There is a lot of water here, and it all runs downhill! Of course, Icelandic waterfalls differ in terms of their impressiveness. Gullfoss waterfall looks like a backdrop from an adventure movie set in the middle ages. At the same time, Dettifoss is perfect for sci-fi films. Anyway, I always enjoy seeing an impressive waterfall for the first time, so it was delightful to see Aldeyjarfoss waterfall for the first time this July.
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Finally seeing Aldeyjarfoss waterfall
Like so many things, seeing Aldeyjarfoss has been on my list for quite a while. The problem is that I don’t venture too often east of my hometown of Akureyri. But when my wife and I drove around the ring road, our plan had us driving from Akureyri to Lake Myvatn. We were checking out places on the Diamond Circle, especially. Dimmuborgir, which I had not visited in ages. And Aldeyjarfoss waterfall of course.
How to get to Aldeyjarfoss waterfall
There was also no way we were skipping Aldeyjarfoss Waterfall. We took a detour off the ring road (road no. 1) on to a gravel road no. 842. This road leads you up to the rural Bárðardalur valley. It is a beautiful sheep country. So when driving, please watch out for the sheep! They are unpredictable and might jump on the road at any time. Prepare for an Icelandic traffic jam if you meet them on the way. They think they own the place and they might be right about that.
The road to the waterfall was sufficiently good for our rather crappy Toyota Corolla. I must admit that since that the way we were on leads on the rugged Sprengisandsleið route in the highland interior, I fantasized about being on a proper 4×4 vehicle. Cruising in the Icelandic highlands is just amazing.
You don’t see the waterfall from the makeshift parking lot where somebody has put up rather unattractive latrines. You have to walk a little way to the waterfall. And when I saw the waterfall. It was one of those moments where you go, “wow!” Aldeyjarfoss is stunning. It plunges 20 meters down into a canyon neatly lined with perfectly aligned basalt columns, both thin and thick. I don’t have the imagination to describe the symmetry of it all. You will just have to visit the place.
Get two waterfalls at once
Aldeyjarfoss waterfall is in the Skjálfandafljót river, and downriver is the beautiful Goðafoss waterfall, which you must check out. We drove back on the other side of the valley, reached Goðafoss waterfall, and drove onwards to Lake Mývatn.
Sci-friendly waterfall
And in what kind of movie would Aldeyjarfoss fit in? Well, I think it would be fantastic in a sci-fi movie, just like Dettifoss waterfall. Those photogenic basalt columns which frame the waterfall look like they are straight from an alien planet. Or just planet Iceland.
