Fjadrargljufur (Fjaðrárgljúfur) is a beautiful, picturesque canyon in southern Iceland, near the historic village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. It is about 100 m (330 ft) deep and about 1.5 km (1 mile) long, and its walls are dotted with numerous waterfalls.
Creation of Fjadrargljufur Canyon
The rocks in which the canyon was formed are about 2 million years old. When, after the last glaciation (about 10,000 years ago), the glacier that lay here retreated up the valley above today’s canyon, it left a lake behind. The water flowing out of that lake carried a lot of sand and rock debris, so that on its way to the ocean it carved the present-day canyon into volcanic tuffs and hyaloclastites with relative ease.
The origin of the canyon is described in more detail by Þorvaldur Þórðarson (Thorvaldur Thordarson), professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland, in his book:
The Plio-Pleistocene sediments that make up the cliffs rising above Kirkjubæjarklaustur consist of the 700 m (2,300 ft) thick Síða volcanic succession. It was formed before the Ice Age. The dominant features here were 14 submarine hyaloclastic lava flows. Each lava flow is usually covered by a 15 m (50 ft) thick layer of lapilli tuff. The lava at the base of these flows often has a columnar structure, resembling the formation called Kirkjugólf (church floor), which can be seen at Kirkjubæjarklaustur and on the Dverghamrar cliffs. […]
Over the past 10,000 years, rivers have carved many gorges and gullies into the slopes of Síða, but none of them compares with the Fjaðrárgljúfur gorge. It is here that the Fjaðrá river cut a gorge 100 m (330 ft) deep into the hyaloclastites and other rock formations found in Síða.
Source: Þórðarson, Þ. et al.: Classic Geology in Europe 3, ICELAND, Terra Publishing, 2002;
quoted after: Vatnajökull National Park: Geology and Geodynamics, Hrafnhildur Hannesdóttir et al.;
our translation
Why Fjadrargljufur is Justin Bieber’s canyon
Video: Fjadrargljufur canyon.
Until 2015, Fjaðrárgljúfur was relatively unknown and far less crowded than other attractions in the area. But when the music video for Canadian singer Justin Bieber’s song I’ll Show You, shot largely right here at Fjadrargljufur, was released in late 2015, crowds of tourists and fans of the singer flocked to the canyon. The canyon itself “adopted” the name of its promoter and is now often known simply as Justin Bieber Canyon.
Well, the original name is indeed not easy to pronounce or remember. Even Google Maps makes a typo in it, giving Fjarðarárgljúfur instead of Fjaðrárgljúfur. “Justin Bieber’s canyon”, on the other hand, is something everyone understands and remembers. On top of that, such a name draws tourists and boosts sales of tours to the place – nothing but upsides…
It should be said, however, that the music video – and the new name – made the place so popular that the influx of tourists caused very serious damage to the canyon’s nature. So much so that in 2019 its interior was closed to visitors, and today we can admire it only from the trail and viewing platforms along the rim.
How to get to Fjadrargljufur
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a great stop for anyone traveling the South Coast east of the town of Vik. Because of the contrast between the dark rocks, foaming water and green moss, the place is very photogenic and popular with photographers. It is worth coming here at the end of the day – you can then watch the sunset over or behind the canyon. No wonder we put it in our Top 10 most beautiful canyons of Iceland.
To get to Fjaðrárgljúfur, take Route 1 and turn north onto Road 206 about 6 km (4 miles) west of the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. The turn-off to the parking lot at the viewpoint is easy but unmarked, and in fall, winter and spring the access road may be closed. At that time of year it is best to ask at one of the nearby gas stations on Route 1.
When the access road is closed, a notice is posted right at the turn-off from Route 1. So if there is no notice – you can drive on with confidence.
