Hraunfossar Waterfall

Basic Information

Magnificent view and the burbling sound of water from this waterfall will take you to the world you have ever imagined. The Hraunfossar Waterfall with panoramic view in the middle of the mountains makes you feel as if you are living an ascetic life. This series of waterfalls formed by brooks of water on western Iceland is one of the famous waterfalls of the country. Originating from the Hallmundarhraun lava field and flowing across more than 900 meters, the waterfalls pour into Hvita (Borgarfjörður). The small streams of water look like a strand of cascades tied within the rough trenches of the lava. With well-maintained paths and bridges allows you to talk a walk around the waterfall and capture a magnificent wide view of the water streams. You can experience the sky meeting the grounds of the mountain with flourished green trees and grass.

More Than Just A Stream of Water

A long wall of water flowing over moss-covered lava, pouring into bright turquoise water is going to give you goose bumps. When you visit the Hraunfossar waterfall, spend some time to capture the beauty of nature in your camera and feel the moist air – a result of the milky stream. Take out some time to soak in the beauty of the dropping waters creating a white foamy sheet in the Hvita River. If you think that you will head back home after seeing the splendour then give a pause to your steps, you still have some re-thinking and some exciting activities remaining to do. The bridges and pathways near the Hraunfossar waterfall will make your trip to this fluttering waterfall even more adventurous. Just ensure that you wear a pair of sturdy hiking boots because that is all the equipment you will need for this thrill filled business. You can track the area without any difficulty because of its less steep path.

On a clear day without rain and clouds, you can even witness the Langjökull Glacier far behind this 900 m long strand of water. If you are visiting the waterfall during the winter season, you will get to see the waterfall in its frozen form – another breath-taking view. Every season is the perfect season to visit the waterfall due to the unique charm that they all come with.

How To Reach There

Hraunfossar waterfall is about 118 km away from the capital city of Reykjavík. It will take about 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach there. When you start from Reykjavík, head on Route 1 towards North. After driving for around 25 km, you will find Hvalfjordur tunnel; after crossing the tunnel, take a sharp right turn heading towards Borgarnes. Turn your vehicle to the right just before Borgarnes bridge and drive for 30 km straight on Route 50. While driving towards Reykholt for around 20 km on Route 518, you will notice a signboard mentioning Hraunfossar. You can park your vehicle in the parking space near the waterfall.

It is ideal to visit during the early hours of the day since there are low chances of finding heavy traffic during early hours of the day. Most of the way covers Route 1 but the roundabouts and the bridges may be confusing so it is better to turn on the GPS or Google Maps on your device and reach easily.

After you reach the parking lot, it is a short walk to the waterfalls. Tough walking boots would be a good choice to cover the uneven terrain easily. If you are vising during winters, you might want to bring proper outwear and crampons as the terrain become slippery in November to March. To explore the places around it, you can also visit Barnafossar and Deildartunguhver located near the Hraunfossar Waterfall.