On the way home - Goðafoss, the waterfall of the gods

On the second-to-last day of our trip around Iceland, the weather flipped - the temperature dropped and a snowstorm came in. One good thing - we packed the campsite in minutes. Normally folding the tent and packing takes forever.

We headed west. In my head I was already a little bit at home - on Snæfellsnes - but I didn’t want to rush. There were still a few places worth a stop.

Our first longer stop was Goðafoss Waterfall. By Icelandic standards it’s mid-sized, but very photogenic - worth a visit if you’re nearby. It’s also right by Route 1.

There are paths on both sides of the river, each with a slightly different view. It’s nice to slow down and notice small things - the old bridge, the bold rock shapes around the riverbed.

The walk is short and not hard, but the rocks can be slippery. Strong wind is common here - it blows spray from the river and the falls into a fine mist. A light rain shell helps, and it’s good to have a cloth for the lens.

When the waterfall appears from around the bend, it’s hard not to be impressed.

It isn’t very high, but it’s dramatic. It opens like a wide fan, falling over basalt steps in many streams.

The name goes back to an important moment in Iceland’s history. Around the year 1000, Alþingi - the Icelandic parliament - made Christianity the official religion. Legend says that after the meeting a local chieftain and pagan priest threw his statues of the old gods into the waterfall to seal the decision. Since then it has been called Goðafoss - the waterfall of the gods.

The rocks along the edge look like sculptures.

At first it’s hard to judge the scale. Up close you see only a piece, but when you climb a bit higher it spreads out like a peacock’s tail - a clear wow moment.

In front of places like this, I think we all feel a mix of humility and awe. It’s a simple, good feeling to be a tiny part of so much majesty.

What can chase me away from views like this is the weather - and that’s how it was this time. I mentioned the snowstorm at Mývatn, right? It wasn’t snowing here, but it was very cold, and the wind was lashing us with spray. We decided to head back - but I still took a few last looks at those rocks and small details.

Even with the cold we checked the path on the other side of the river, so we crossed the old bridge. That second path didn’t give the full wide view, but it let us get closer to the water’s power and soak up its mood.

I’m not a fan of quick visits - later I always check the map to see where else we could have walked to get deeper into the area. But time is limited - you choose one thing and skip another. Did you see “Everything Everywhere All at Once”? I liked it a lot. Sometimes I feel like the main character - wanting it all, everywhere, all at once.

By evening we reached the last stop of this trip - the small town of Hauganes. I love places like this - sleepy, modest, ringed by mountains. The next day was very full, and I’ll write about it in the next post.