Aldeyjarfoss

About Aldeyjarfoss

Aldeyjarfoss is a waterfall on the Skjálfandafljót river at the southern end of Bárðardalur in North Iceland, where the river drops about 20 meters into a round pool walled with tightly packed black basalt columns. White water against that dark rock is the reason people make the detour.

The falls sit right where the valley road turns into Sprengisandur, the highland route across the interior. Because it lies well off the Ring Road, Aldeyjarfoss sees far fewer visitors than Goðafoss, which is on the same river roughly 40 kilometers downstream. The valley also has a screen credit, as the Icelandic film Rams was shot in Bárðardalur.

From Route 1 at Goðafoss, follow Road 842 south through the valley until it becomes the F26 mountain road. A short way along F26, a signed turnoff on the left leads to a small parking lot, and from there a path drops through the lava to viewpoints above the gorge. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes each way from Akureyri, and 30 to 45 minutes at the falls.

That last stretch on F26 is the catch. It's rough gravel with no river crossings, but it's legally an F-road, so you need a 4x4 rental that allows F-roads, or you can park where the maintained road ends and walk the track instead. F26 only opens in summer, usually from late June or early July, so check the official road-conditions map before you go.

Aldeyjarfoss in winter is a different trip, since the road isn't serviced and snow closes it. Entry is free year-round. Stay well back from the edge of the gorge, because the basalt gets slick with spray.