Waterfalls
Wailua Falls is a twin waterfall, which cascades 26 meters down into a deep pool. There is a lookout at the small parking lot above the falls, but you can't see the entire length of falls from there, and the untrimmed vegetation are also obstructing the view. For full close-up views, you need to follow an unofficial muddy trail to the bottom.
A wide, but not so tall, waterfall which breaks off a grassland dotted with summer houses. There is a picnic area and a cafe right in front it, so it makes a nice stop on the Golden Circle on the way back.
Goðafoss, or waterfall of the gods, is one of Iceland’s most spectacular, and one of the easiest to access (being located only a few hundred metres from the Ring Road). Located between Akureyri and Lake Myvatn, Goðafoss has a fascinating history. It was here that, in the year 999 or 1000 CE, the lawspeaker Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði (good luck pronouncing that!), after making Christianity the official religion of Iceland, threw his statues of the old Norse gods. The falls are not particularly big (12 m high and 30 m wide), but they are very beautiful. It is possible to get right up to the edge of the falls on either side of the river, and you can visit any time of the day or night. Since it receives countless busloads of tourists every day, visiting at night is your best bet for a more peaceful, and perhaps a more holistic, experience.
The beautiful Golden Falls are different from most other waterfalls in Iceland, consisting of a two-step plunge into a narrow crevice. From the distance it simply looks as though the water is swallowed up by the ground. However, a closer inspection will reveal that it "only" falls 32 meters into the crevice. The wateralls are a part of the Golden Circle - Iceland’s most popular tourist trail, which also include Geysir and Pingvellir - and can be very busy during high season. There are several viewing platforms, and to properly appreciate the majesty of Gullfoss it is worth going to all of them as well as following the path down to the water.
The large and impressive waterfall Ófærufoss lies well inside the world's largest volcanic canyon Eldgjá, that covers a vast area. To get to the waterfall you have to walk for half an hour, but it is a beautiful area with contrasts of sharp volcanic rocks, rivers and extreme green vegetation and flowers. The water in Òfærufoss falls into three levels, and you can walk up via a staircase to the middle of the waterfall and enjoy the view. There has previously been a lava arch over one of the levels that you could cross, but it has now collapsed.
Iceland has a plethora of beautiful waterfalls, but very few can match Seljalandsfoss for an interesting perspective. Why? Because you can walk all the way around it, including behind the sheet of water cascading down the side of the mountain! The walk is perfectly safe, although a bit slippery in places – and you will get wet. Not so much from the falls themselves, as from the water mist that gets carried in all directions. Seljalandsfoss, like many other famous waterfalls close to a main road in Iceland, gets very busy. For a bit more peace and quiet, and for the best light, try coming here late in the evening slightly out of season. But even with the crowds this is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland.
The large waterfall Skógafoss is located on the south coast of Iceland and is visible from the main coastal road. You can get very close to the impressive waterfall and see the large cascades of water pouring down from the long drop. It is one of the largest waterfalls in Iceland and has an approximately 60-meter high fall and is 25 meters wide. It is also possible to go to the top of the waterfall via a long staircase and from there also enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean and its special black beaches (colored by lava ash).
A 7 km side tour off the coastal road, on a bumpy dirt road, will bring you to the triple waterfall of Gangga. The size of the waterfalls are not as exciting as getting to them. The first fall is straight forward. The second one is reached by crossing in front of the plunging water of the first and then balancing on some slippery bamboo poles. The last one is the cave waterfall, below the two others. You have to walk upstream in the riverbed, before you can see the water be pressed out of the cliff face. If the water pressure is low, you can even climb up and explore the crack where the water emerges from.
If you end up in Luwuk and don't know what to do, go and see the waterfall at Hanga-Hanga. It's claimed that the waterfall should be 75 m high, but it's not possible to see the full length of the fall, only the last couple of cascades, as its covered by the forest. To reach the fall take a ojek (motorcycle taxi) from Luwuk to the power plant in the suburb Hanga-Hanga, about 3 km from the town center. The guards will let you through, so you can reach the base of the last cascade. There are several shelters in bad shape, which locals use for picnics – a strange discovery, as hardly any of the locals we met knew about the waterfall.
There are several waterfalls in the countryside of Tomohon. Some can only be reach by hiking, while others are easy accessible – that is if you can find the way, for there are not many signs. The pretty waterfall of Tumimperas, about 6 km from Tomohon, is fairly easy to find. The drop is about 25 m into a small pool, where green ferns cling to the steep rockface. There is a staircase to the base which give you nice views over the jungle below.