Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge

About Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge

Rauðfeldsgjá is a narrow, moss-lined ravine that splits the side of Botnsfjall mountain on the south coast of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, a couple of kilometres east of Arnarstapi. From the road it looks like a dark crack in the cliff, but inside a stream runs between sheer walls that close in overhead, with small waterfalls further back.

The gorge is named after Rauðfeldur in the Saga of Bárður Snæfellsás. According to the story, Rauðfeldur and his brother Sölvi pushed Bárður's daughter Helga onto an iceberg that drifted to Greenland; in revenge Bárður, the half-troll guardian of Snæfellsnes, threw Rauðfeldur into this gorge and Sölvi off a nearby cliff.

A signposted turn-off from the coast road leads to a small, free gravel car park. From there a path climbs about 550 metres to the mouth of the gorge, a round trip of roughly 1.1 km with around 80 metres of ascent, taking 10 to 15 minutes each way. Going inside means walking and scrambling on wet rocks in the stream, so waterproof boots are essential, and you should expect to get splashed. Most visitors spend 30 to 60 minutes here.

The gorge is best visited from late spring to early autumn, when the stream is lower and the rocks are free of ice. In winter the entrance and path can be icy, the water may freeze and there is a risk of falling ice and rock, so it is safer to view it from the outside. There are no facilities on site. Rauðfeldsgjá combines easily with the coastal walk between Arnarstapi and Hellnar, the Gatklettur arch, the Búðakirkja black church and the Lóndrangar sea stacks, all within a short drive.