Hraunfossar Waterfalls
Hraunfossar, meaning Lava Falls, is one of Iceland's most unusual waterfalls: not a single drop but a 900-metre stretch of small springs that emerge directly from beneath the edge of the Hallmundarhraun lava field and trickle into the turquoise Hvítá River below. The water originates from the Langjökull glacier, filtering through the porous lava rock before appearing at the surface. A short walk upstream leads to Barnafoss, a dramatically different waterfall where the same river forces through a narrow rocky gorge.
Two Completely Different Waterfalls, 200 Metres Apart in West Iceland
The Hallmundarhraun lava field was produced by eruptions of volcanoes lying beneath Langjökull, Iceland's second-largest glacier, roughly 1,000 years ago. Where the lava field meets the Hvítá River, glacial meltwater that has been filtering through the porous rock for kilometres emerges in dozens of small springs along the riverbank, spread over a distance of around 900 metres. The effect is quiet and diffuse rather than dramatic: pale blue-green water sliding over dark lava rock into the turquoise river below. The colour of the Hvítá varies from milky white to vivid turquoise depending on the season and the amount of glacial silt in the flow, and the contrast with the dark basalt gives Hraunfossar one of the most photogenic waterlines in Iceland.
A short walk upstream along a marked path leads to Barnafoss, its near-opposite in character. Here the full force of the Hvítá is compressed into a narrow gorge carved through the volcanic rock, creating a churning rapid of considerable power. The name means Children's Falls, and the folklore attached to it is one of the darker Icelandic legends: two boys left home alone while their parents went to church, decided to follow via a shortcut over a natural stone bridge above the falls, and both fell to their deaths. Their mother, consumed by grief, either destroyed the bridge herself or cursed it with a rune so that anyone who crossed it would meet the same fate. The bridge was later destroyed by an earthquake.
Both waterfalls are accessible from a shared free car park off Route 518, with toilets and a café on site. The walk between the two takes around 20 to 30 minutes at a relaxed pace along clearly marked paths with several viewpoints. Entry is free year-round. Hraunfossar is about 120 kilometres northeast of Reykjavik, roughly 1.5 hours by car via Routes 1, 50, and 518. The waterfalls are a natural stop on the Silver Circle route and pair well with Deildartunguhver hot spring and Reykholt, both within 20 to 30 minutes by car.
