Area guide · 15 minutes west
The waterfall you can walk behind, and its hidden neighbour tucked into a canyon 700 metres up the same cliff line.
Seljalandsfoss drops about sixty metres over what used to be the coastline, and the path loops all the way around behind the curtain of water. That walk is the whole point: from inside the cave the evening sun shines straight through the fall, because the cliff faces west.
You will get wet. Not damp, wet. A rain jacket beats an umbrella, and the spray finds camera lenses too, so bring a cloth.
Follow the cliff 700 metres north of Seljalandsfoss and there is a crack in the rock with a stream running out of it. Wade a few steps up that shallow stream, between the canyon walls, and a full waterfall is hiding inside the mountain.
Most of the buses never make it this far, which is exactly why you should. Waterproof shoes help, the stream is usually around ankle deep.
Drive west on Route 1 for about a quarter of an hour and turn right onto road 249, the falls are visible from the main road long before the turn. Parking is paid, around ISK 1,000 for the day, payable by card at the machines.
In winter the spray freezes on the path, and the walk behind the fall is often closed for safety. The signs at the site are updated, trust them over anything a blog told you.
Questions people ask
Yes, a footpath runs all the way around behind the water. It closes in winter when spray freezes on the rocks, and you will get properly wet in any season, so wear a waterproof jacket.
The waterfall itself is free. Parking is paid, around ISK 1,000 for the day, and the machines take cards.
Early morning before the day tours arrive from Reykjavík, or in the evening. The evening is also when the light is best, because the fall faces west into the sunset. Staying nearby makes both easy.
Yes. It is a ten-minute walk from Seljalandsfoss and hides inside a canyon, so you wade a shallow stream to reach it. Far fewer people go, and waterproof shoes are enough.
The Garage sits between this waterfall and Skógafoss, studio apartments on a working farm under Eyjafjallajökull. Stay here and you can see both falls before the buses arrive.