A morning at a waterfall
A travel story by Merlin Kafka.
When driving around Iceland, one cannot help but notice the astounding number of waterfalls that seem to be everywhere – the moment you think you have seen them all, another one will appear around the corner. Skogafoss is one of the most impressive ones and has long been on my list of places to see in Iceland.
The alarm clock rang at 5.30 that morning with great sunrise conditions ahead of us. After packing the gear, a quick shower and skipping the breakfast, it was time to head towards Skógafoss – luckily just a short drive away. With a warm glow of sunlight appearing at the horizon, we arrived at the waterfall as the first people that morning. The scenic view of Skógafoss from the distance is almost too good to be real – it could have been carved out of the cliff by humans if I didn’t know any better.
After noticing that the waterfall and the parking area were just separated by a small stream, we couldn’t help but drive the Land Cruiser right to the front of Skógafoss. It was breathtaking to be so close to the masses of water falling every second from the 60-meter high cliff – no cars, no people, just the roaring sound of water. This place was definitely beyond anything I had expected and I spent the following two hours trying to capture it from every possible angle until the first people slowly started to arrive.
Looking back, the early start was definitely worth it and seeing this powerful waterfall with my own eyes without a doubt a moment to remember. I am already picturing how the surrounding environment will change over the next few months and cover Skógafoss in a summery dress.
On another note:
According to the legend, the first Viking settler hid a treasure in the cave behind the waterfall and to this date it has not been discovered … I will definitely have a closer look the next time I happen to be in Iceland.
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