Barnafoss

About Barnafoss

Barnafoss, the 'Children's Falls', is a stretch of fast, churning rapids where the glacial river Hvítá squeezes through a narrow channel cut into lava in Borgarfjörður, West Iceland. Rather than a single high drop, it is a series of chutes and whirlpools between dark rock walls, and the erosive force of the water is easy to see from the viewpoints above. It sits right next to Hraunfossar, the row of springs that pour out of the Hallmundarhraun lava field, and the two are visited together.

The name comes from a local legend. Two children from the farm Hraunsás were left at home while their parents went to Christmas Mass. When the family returned, the children were gone, and their tracks led to a natural stone arch that then spanned the river at this point. Their mother concluded they had fallen from it and drowned, and had the arch destroyed so no one else would die there. Other versions blame a curse or an earthquake; either way, the stone bridge no longer exists.

Barnafoss is off Route 518 in the Borgarfjörður region, roughly 126 km from Reykjavík, which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours by car. There is a free car park shared with Hraunfossar, and a short walk leads to a footbridge and viewing points over both. There are no facilities at the falls themselves, but a restaurant and café with a gift shop is beside the car park.

The falls can be seen all year, though paths can be icy in winter, and summer or autumn gives the best colours in the surrounding birch. Allow 30 to 45 minutes for both sites. Stay behind the railings: the current is powerful and the rock edges are slippery. Víðgelmir lava cave, Deildartunguhver hot spring and the Húsafell area are all close by.