A Secret Waterfall in Winter Wonderland

A Secret Waterfall in Winter Wonderland

There are numerous famous waterfalls in Iceland, not all easily accessible. When my girlfriend was visiting Iceland for the first time I took her to one of my favourite secret locations.

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Thor Arnason

19. December 2017

Iceland has so many hidden gems. To see the truly magical ones you need to go off the beaten path and be ready to put in some effort. At the same time you have to be properly equipped and know what you are doing.

Especially in the wintertime when the weather can change instantly.  My girlfriend was visiting Iceland for 10 days this christmas and the plan was to show her around and visit some of the best spots in South Iceland. But the weather this Christmas was not really good and we had a lot of storms. At this time of year the day is shorter than 5 hours so you have to make smart plans.

When the oppertunity finally rose, the 31st of December, we took off to see some of the pearls of South Iceland. The main stop during this day trip was at a secret waterfall hidden inside a narrow canyon.

Inside a secret canyon in IcelandThe entrance to the canyon.

To get to this waterfall you have 2 options. Get your feet wet or get good warm knee high boots. To get in the canyon the only way is to walk through a small water stream and it can be deep in someplaces so you have to be careful. In wintertime, you also need crampons because the surface of every stone is icy when it is freezing.

During the walk through the canyon sometimes you must stop to view the beauty of nature...Enjoying view of Icicles inside the canyon during winter in IcelandEnjoying the view...

Icicles hanging from the walls of the canyon in IcelandIcicles hanging from the walls of the canyon

To get all the way to the waterfall you have to do a little bit of climbing to get pass a small waterfall and a deep pot in the stream. During winter the track is covered in ice and here the crampons are necessary.

Mini waterfall inside the canyon during the hikeClimbing up the "mini waterfall"

But when you finally get to the end of the canyon all the trouble is worth it. Even if you got a little bit wet getting there. 

View of the secret waterfall that is hidden in the canyonThe secret waterfall hidden in the canyon.

I also got a short video of the waterfall and you can watch it here.

Climbing over streams of water on the way backOn the way back

This was an amazing hike to one of Icelands hidden gems. If you are planning a trip to Iceland and would like more information about this secret place, ask a local or send me an email for more info. 

People inside the canyonAnd finally one picture of us from the canyon!