Only a few minutes by car east of Reykholt are two of the country’s more spectacular waterfalls, Barnafoss (Children’s Waterfall) and Hraunfossar (Lava Waterfalls). In 1987, the two waterfalls and the surrounding area were selected as a Natural Monument because of the outstanding beauty one immediately witnesses on arrival at the site.
Hraunfossar waterfalls are in fact numerous small waterfalls stretching over an area that is hundreds of metres wide where small rivulets emerge from beneath the lava and fall into the river Hvítá. A more picturesque phenomenon is hard to find.
A good hiking trail leads from Hraunfossar up to Barnafoss, located only 300 metres away. Barnafoss, drawing its name from an old folktale about two children that accidentally fell in the waterfall and drowned, is unique in a different way. Since ancient times, the forceful river has been wearing down the lava, creating a narrow gorge and remarkable rock formations.
You could easily spend many hours walking around the area and enjoying the majestic scenery. If you still have the time and energy for some more adventurous explorations, a short drive east of Barnafoss leads you to Surtshellir cave in the Hallmundarhraun lava fields. The cave is 1970 metres long and among the deepest in the country.
Car provided by Hertz.
Tel: 522-4400