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se extreme caution when viewing Haifoss! The viewpoints are not protected in any way, and the chasm separating you from the waterfall is over 100 m deep!
Háifoss, or High Waterfall, is Iceland’s third-highest waterfall and certainly one of the prettiest. It lies a bit out of the way, but it’s worth a look, especially since you’ll also find several other attractions nearby.
Beautiful High Waterfall with… a Neighbor
Haifoss Waterfall (literally: High Waterfall) officially measures 128 meters high and is the third highest waterfall in Iceland. It is clearly inferior to No. 1 and No. 2, namely the highest Morsárfoss (240 meters) and the second-highest Glymur (198 meters). However, it is certainly the most easily accessible of the three waterfalls. Morsarfoss is basically inaccessible to tourists – it lies high in the mountains, on a glacier (which is why it was discovered very recently). Seeing Glymur, on the other hand (Glymur – Iceland’s highest tourist waterfall) requires a hike of several hours. Meanwhile, the Haifoss parking lot lies no more than 100 meters from the viewpoint of the waterfall, so seeing it is really easy.
Besides, Haifoss, even if it is not the highest, is still very impressive. Luckily, the viewpoint is located in a place from which the waterfall really looks beautiful. The beautiful layers of the rock cliff from which it falls also add to its beauty. These rocks are nearly 2 million years old and are obviously of volcanic origin.
The “godfather” of the waterfall is Icelandic geologist Helgi Pjeturs (1872 – 1949). Interestingly, Pjeturs is the first Icelander to earn a doctorate in geology. It was he who, only in the early 20th century, gave the previously nameless waterfall the name Háifoss (formerly: Háafoss). The neighboring, smaller waterfall was named Granni (literally: neighbor) by Pjeturs’ colleague, Frenchman Andre Courmont. Both waterfalls lie on the same stream, which divides into two parts only about 500 meters before the cascades.
Due to weather conditions and ease of access, it is best to visit Haifoss waterfall in summer.
Attractions near Háifoss Falls
Haifoss is located near a distinctive bend of highways 32 and 26 east of the town of Fludir and north of Hvolsvöllur. This is the route taken by almost everyone wanting to get to Hrauneyjar and then south to Landmannalaugar or north on the F26 (Sprengisandsleid) road toward Myvatn. However, tourists driving from the Golden Circle toward Vik usually avoid this area. Meanwhile, coming here you can see not only the beautiful Haifoss itself, but also several other attractions in the immediate area.
Certainly the most important, largest and most distinctive thing you will see on a trip to Haifoss is Hekla. Of course, there are many volcanoes scattered around Háifoss, as in all of Iceland, but none of them can compare with the mighty and somewhat lonely Hekla, clearly visible to the south of the waterfall. This is one of Iceland’s most famous and explosive volcanoes, which was still erupting quite regularly in the late 20th century. If you are heading towards it be sure to read the separate article we dedicated to it: Hekla – the queen of Icelandic volcanoes The road, which can be used to reach the vicinity of Hekla and then even climb to the ridge of the volcano, begins about 10 km south of the start of the road to Haifoss.
In addition to Hekla, you will find the following other notable places near Haifoss:
- the historic the Viking era Stong Longhouse (destroyed by the hot ashes of Hekla nearly 1,000 years ago)
- an immense but curiously spread out waterfall Gjain, in a beautiful fairytale valley;
- a pretty double waterfall Hjalparfoss;
- located a little further south, accessible from Road 26 Thjofafoss – Waterfall of Thieves;
- It will also be interesting to visit Highland Center Hrauneyjar – the last outpost of civilization before the wild interior, with a distinctive sign “next gas station in 243 km”.
How to get to Háifoss
Haifoss is located in the Fossárdalur Valley, in southern Iceland, about halfway from Fludir to Hrauneyjar.
There is a parking lot near the top of the waterfall, from which a short path will take you to the viewpoints. In bad weather conditions, but even in good ones, use extreme caution here!
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se extreme caution when viewing Haifoss! The viewpoints are not protected in any way, and the chasm separating you from the waterfall is over 100 m deep!
You will reach the parking lot by road 332 departing north from road 32. Both of these roads in this area in winter are not cleared of snow, so access during snowfall may not be possible.
In summer, Road 32 (paved) is accessible to all cars without any problems, while Road 332 is gravel and somewhat steep in places. A 4-wheel drive car will manage on it without the slightest problem, but an ordinary car should also pass it, although some caution will be required (there are about 8 km to go).
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oad 332 is not officially a mountain road, but de facto it is one. It has a rather uneven gravel surface, at least in one place a rather steep climb and has no winter services.
Map of Haifoss waterfall area
© Based on data from National Land Survey of Iceland
Paths to the foot of Háifoss
Haifoss can also be viewed from below, but this requires some dedication. Two paths lead to the foot of the waterfall.
The shorter, though steeper route to the foot of Haifoss waterfall begins at the parking lot at the top. It heads about a kilometer southwest along the edge of the canyon to reach a point where it is already possible to descend the slope. The descent is steep, as at about 300-400 meters you go down by as much as almost 100 meters. The path is narrow and sand and gravel, so be very careful of your feet going down it. After descending to the bottom of the canyon, the path turns back to the northeast, towards the waterfalls. After about 500-800 m we reach the foot of Haifoss. We return to the top by the same path, and the whole trip there and back will take us about 1-1.5 hours (that’s almost 150 m of elevation gain).
On the other hand, the gentle path begins near the historic Stong – Viking Era Longhouse on road 327. Unfortunately, from this side to walk as much as 8 km (one way), of which only the first 2-2.5 km leads on a comfortable path. Further on, the road already enters the stream valley and you have to manage there on your own, certainly more than once crossing the stream at the ford. Especially the final 2 km, where the stream flows in a narrow gorge with a rapid, strong current, is very demanding. So the whole thing is quite a difficult hike for almost half a day.
Regardless of the chosen route, the view of the waterfall from below and the crossing of the valley leading to it are sure to provide an unforgettable experience. However, remember to bring a rain jacket – viewing the waterfall from below is difficult to stay dry….
Pictures of Háifoss waterfall
Haifoss is really big and the canyon into which it falls is also very impressive, although it is difficult to show this scale in photos. Note the small red spot in the corner of one of the photos – it’s a tourist, so you can get an idea of the size of the place.
