Text by MOOK Scenic Spots / Mo Fei Photos by MOOK Scenic Spots / Mo Fei
Water crashing down from great heights creates a fine mist, and when the sun shines, a spectacular rainbow appears over the falls. On lucky days, you might even spot a double rainbow. Known as Iceland’s most beautiful waterfall, it’s also called the Rainbow Falls.
Rainbows can be seen here almost year-round as long as there’s sunlight. (Photo by MOOK Scenic Spots / Mo Fei)
Skógafoss, located in southern Iceland, is one of the country’s largest and most magnificent waterfalls, famous for its year-round rainbows.
The rainbow stretches across the falls as if built atop the rocks on either side. (Photo by MOOK Scenic Spots / Mo Fei)
Skógafoss is 25 meters wide with a drop of 60 meters. Thanks to the abundant flow of the Skógá River, it produces a lot of mist, ensuring that a beautiful rainbow is visible on sunny days.
A hiking trail along the adjacent hillside offers views of the Skógá River. (Photo by MOOK Scenic Spots / Mo Fei)
On the east side of the waterfall lies one of Iceland’s most famous hiking trails, the Fimmvörðuháls Trail. This 22-kilometer path winds between two glaciers, follows the Skógá River uphill, and eventually leads to the stunning Þórsmörk Valley.
The Skógá River plunges down a 60-meter cliff. (Photo by MOOK Scenic Spots / Mo Fei)
In fact, Skógafoss was once part of Iceland’s coastline. The former shoreline used to sit at the cliff edge of the Skógá River, but due to tectonic shifts, the coastline receded by five kilometers, leaving this spot as the boundary between Iceland’s coastal lowlands and the inland highlands.
From the elevated ground, you can fully appreciate the Skógá River. (Photo by MOOK Scenic Spots / Mo Fei)
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