Iceland - 9 - Waterfalls 1

11-15 August,  23 August - 4 September, 2025

If there's one defining feature of Iceland, it's a waterfall ("foss") everywhere you look. Sometimes they're small cataracts, sometimes they rival Niagara Falls. This post will feature small waterfalls. The next post will feature mid-size and really big fosses.

25 August

Along the Ring Road in south Iceland it's common to see many waterfalls at one time. I can count at least seven fosses in this photo.

Mountain Cataracts

4 September

Even in the mountain heaths between fjords there are small waterfalls.

31 August

Cataracts on Steingrimsfjöðurheiði (i.e. the heath above Steingrims fjord).

2 September

The cataracts leading to Dynjandi on Dynjandiheiði. (Dynjandi is in the next post.)

Unnamed Fosses (at least to me)

Many waterfalls have no names on the maps. They almost certainly have local names.

11 August

Along the Ring Road in south Iceland.

12 August

Along the Ring Road in south Iceland.

31 August

Lon walking up to a small waterfall at Húsavíkurkleif, a location where important plant fossils have been found on Steinsgrimfjöður near Hólmavík in the West Fjords.

2 September

Along Rt 62 on Breidafjöður in the West Fjords. The terraces reflect different lava flows and glaciations.

Named Fosses

Most of the time, if there was an opportunity to get closer to the waterfall, it had a name on the map.

11 August

Kvernufoss near the Ring Road in south Iceland is one of the waterfalls you can walk behind.

Sue behind Kvernufoss. Always wear at least a rain jacket when visiting fosses - even if you aren't behind them!

Systrafoss ("Sisters Waterfall") in Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

12 August

Foss á Siðu along the Ring Road in south Iceland. This is where we met the rock-retrieving dog (see Animals post.)

26 August

Foss á Siðu on a very windy and stormy day.

27 August

Krossfoss on Berufjöður in the East Fjords.

3 September

Fossfjöður on Reykjafjöður near Bíldudalur in the West Fjords.

4 September

Grundarfoss on the Snæfellsnes peninsula is in an impressive mountain setting.

Grundarfoss

4 September

Bjarnafoss on the Snæfellsnes peninsula.

A complete picture of Bjarnafoss.

Next - the big ones!