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Location: |
approximately 100 miles east of Akureyri in the north of iceland |
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canyon, waterfalls |
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| Map of Joekulsargljufur (click to enlarge) |
Loaded with major attractions, the Joekulsarcanyon is said to be the most impressive canyon of iceland.
Up to a 120 meters deep and 20 miles long it makes a good 2-day trip if you have somebody who drops you off at Dettifoss. Otherwise you'll have to add an extra day for the 15 miles from the mainroad to the waterfall (so did we). Just tell the busdriver to stop at the dirtroad to Dettifoss. The hike to the fall can get quite boring, since it's a very dry and dusty gravel road, so if you're fast, four hours should do it. |
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on top of Dettifoss
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Moving over 300 cubic meters per second, Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe. It's really an impressive spectacle when you stand on top and see tons of water smashing onto the river below. There are two other waterfalls close by, the Selfoss to the south and Hafragilsfoss to the north.
Following the river to the north on a small trail (kind of hard to find) you'll pass Hafragilsfoss and get to the heart of the Joekulsargljufurcanyon. |
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Joekulsargljufurcanyon
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Dettifoss from the north
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Where the trail meets the gravel road again, you can either continue hiking until you get to Asbyrgi or you wait for one of the many touring busses to pick you up and take you to the main road. Since we had to catch a bus the next morning, we did the latter. If you're lucky, they even take you to Asbyrgi, a huge gorge with perpendicular walls on both sides, up to a 100 meter high and the peninsula Tjoernes, from where you have nice views to the Westfjords, before they drop you off at Myvatn. |
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Joekulsargljufur |
