Skogafoss Waterfall

Skógafoss is a waterfall on the Skógá River in Iceland's south, along the rock that marks the old coastline. After the coastline receded (it is now about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Skógar), the previous sea cliffs remained parallel to the coast for hundreds of kilometers, forming a clear demarcation between the coastal lowlands and the Highlands of Iceland.

Skógafoss is one of Iceland's largest waterfalls, with a breadth of 25 meters (82 feet) and a plunge of 60 meters (200 ft). On sunny days, a single or double rainbow is usually visible because of the amount of spray produced by the waterfall. The first Viking settler in the area, rasi órólfsson, is said to have buried a treasure in a cave behind the waterfall. According to folklore, residents discovered the treasure years later but were only able to touch the ring on the side of the chest before it vanished. According to reports, the ring was presented to the local church. The original church door ring can now be found in Skógar's museum. At the eastern side of the waterfall, a hiking and trekking trail leads up to the pass Fimmvörðuháls between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. It goes down to Þórsmörk on the other side and continues as the Laugavegur trail to Landmannalaugar. A 430-step staircase leads up the slope to the top of the waterfall.