Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bus 6/6A Reykjavík-Þingvellir-Gullfoss (Ikr4250 BSÍ Terminal to Geysir, three hours,
one daily mid-June to mid-September, stops for 1½ hours then continues to Gullfoss and
back).
Bus 610/610A Reykjavík-Akureyri (Ikr4250, two hours, one daily mid-June to early
September, continues to Gullfoss, Kjölur Highlands and Kerlingarfjöll to Akureyri).
Bus F35/F35A Reykjavík-Þingvellir-Akureyri (Ikr400 Harpa to/from Geysir, 2½ hours,
one daily late June to early September, stops for 35 minutes, then continues to Gullfoss,
Kjölur Highlands and Kerlingarfjöll to Akureyri).
Gullfoss
Iceland's most famous waterfall, Gullfoss (Golden Falls) is a spectacular double cascade.
It drops 32m, kicking up tiered walls of spray before thundering away down a narrow rav-
ine. On sunny days the mist creates shimmering rainbows, and it's also magical in winter
when the falls glitter with ice. On grey, drizzly days, mist can envelop the second drop,
making Gullfoss slightly underwhelming.
Visited since 1875, the falls came within a hair's breadth of destruction during the
1920s, when a team of foreign investors wanted to dam the Hvítá river for a hydroelectric
project. The landowner, Tómas Tómasson, refused to sell to them, but the developers went
behind his back and obtained permission directly from the government. Tómasson's
daughter, Sigríður, walked (barefoot!) to Reykjavík to protest, even threatening to throw
herself into the waterfall if the development went ahead. Thankfully, the investors failed to
pay the lease, the agreement was nullified and the falls escaped destruction. Gullfoss was
donated to the nation in 1975 and has been a nature reserve ever since.
cafe mains Ikr750-1890; 9am-9.30pm Jun-Aug, 9am-6pm Sep-May; )
, which is famous for its
organic lamb soup made from locally sourced ingredients. A tarmac path suitable for
wheelchairs leads to a lookout over the falls, and a set of steps continues down to the edge.
There's accommodation a few kilometres before the falls at
Hótel Gullfoss
( 486
8979;
www.hotelgullfoss.is
;
d incl breakfast Ikr24,700; )
, a modern bungalow hotel. Its clean
en suite rooms overlook the moors (get one facing the valley) and there are two hot-pots
and a restaurant (mains Ikr2100 to lkr5000) with sweeping views.
