About Aldeyjarfoss
Aldeyjarfoss seemed like it was a bit out of the way to reach, but once we saw it gushing amongst ancient lavafields and basalt columns, we felt it was worth the trouble.
The basalt columns (similar to what we saw in Svartifoss though not as pronounced) and the powdery blue color of the water attest to the glacial origins of the watercourse as well as the familiar interplay of fire and ice.
Despite the modest 20m height of the waterfall, all of these factors added to the drama of the landscape.
This waterfall belonged to the river Skjálfandafljót (like Goðafoss and Geitafoss) on the northern end of the Sprengisandur 4wd road (F26).
We didn’t do the whole road through the desolate interior of Iceland, but even just making it out to the falls provided a glimpse of the scenery that was to come had we proceeded further.
In fact, it seemed like most of the effort was just driving here as the walk amongst the desolate moonscape of the Icelandic Interior was only about 10-15 minutes each way.
The walk was on a pretty well-defined dirt trail as it gently descended to a precarious lookout area on lava cliffs directly opposite the waterfall’s turbulent plunge pool.
The rugged landscape was the result of a large waterflow on Skjálfandafljót cutting through the Suðurárhraun lava field and carving a gorge through it.
We were content with the views we were able to get of the falls though we probably could have scrambled a little more around the plunge pool for different angles and perspectives of the falls.
Given the remote and rugged location of Aldeyjarfoss, we found ourselves pretty much alone each time we’ve come here – once in late June 2007 and another in August 2021.
On our first visit, we were eventually joined by a club of SUV-drivers (that actually blocked us in just as we were leaving), which gives you an idea of the type of vehicle needed to use the F26 Sprengisandur Road.
When we came back 14 years later, we actually had to contend with fog practically covering up the waterfall and really cutting our visit short.
Nevertheless, even though Aldeyjarfoss was situated at the northernmost extreme of the F26, we didn’t have to face any of the infamous F road obstacles like unbridged river crossings or crawling over boulder fields.
Authorities
Aldeyjarfoss resides in the Northeast Region near Akureyri, Iceland. It is administered by the municipality of Þingeyjarsveit. For information or inquiries about the general area as well as current conditions, you may want to try visiting their website.
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