Godafoss: The Waterfall of the Gods

Godafoss — Waterfall of the Gods — is one of Iceland's most historically significant sites and one of its most photogenic waterfalls. In the year 1000 AD, the lawspeaker Thorgeir Thorkelsson, having decided that Iceland would formally adopt Christianity in preference to war with the Norwegian king, returned home and threw his Norse god statues into the falls as a symbolic gesture of conversion. The event is one of the most famous in the Icelandic sagas. Whether the statues were actually thrown into this specific waterfall or are a later embellishment to the story is debated by historians, but the site has borne the name Godafoss for over a millennium.

The Falls

Godafoss drops approximately 12 metres over a curved horseshoe-shaped edge approximately 30 metres wide. The Skjalfandafljot river spreads across this curved lip before falling into a wide pool below. The curve creates a dramatic framing effect and allows visitors on either bank to face the entire width of the falls directly. The falls are split by a central rock formation, with the two channels visible simultaneously from the eastern bank viewpoint that most visitors use.

The colour of the water is a striking blue-green — significantly more vivid than the grey-white glacial rivers of the South Coast. The Skjalfandafljot drains partially from geothermal areas, which gives it a clarity and colour distinct from purely glacial rivers. In certain light conditions, the combination of the blue water, white foam and dark basalt is extraordinarily photogenic.

Location and Access

Godafoss is on the Ring Road (Route 1) approximately 50km east of Akureyri — an easy stop on any Ring Road itinerary travelling through North Iceland. The falls are immediately visible from the road, with the car park at the eastern viewpoint directly adjacent. Free entry. Year-round access. In winter, the surrounding landscape is snow-covered and the falls partially ice-fringed, creating a completely different aesthetic from the summer visit.

Photography at Godafoss

Godafoss photographs best in overcast conditions when the flat, even light eliminates the harsh shadows that midday sun creates on the curved face of the falls. The west bank provides the most complete view of the full width of the horseshoe; the east bank offers a view looking across the falls with the canyon context visible. The falls can be photographed using a polarising filter to reduce the water surface glare and increase the colour saturation of the surrounding basalt. A tripod and neutral density filter allow slow exposures (1 to 3 seconds) that render the water as a smooth flow while retaining texture in the surrounding rock. Dawn and dusk light on the east bank are the most photogenic conditions.

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