Goðafoss: Iceland’s Fall of the Gods2 min read time

Goðafoss, whose Icelandic meaning tells of a historic spiritual conversion of the country, the waterfall of the gods. It’s bright turquoise water and the powerful force at which it crashes downstream and over the largest edge is memorizing…

The Legend of Goðafoss

The sagas say that Þorgeir Þorkelsson was a law man in a time when Iceland’s ruling power was deciding whether or not to practice Christianity or Norse Paganism. After a long hard think, our guy Þorgeir, decided to vote in favor of Christianity and upon a win and journey home, he threw the idols of his old pagan gods (for he was a pagan himself) into a nearby waterfall, which to this day we call Goðafoss.

Getting here is super easy, it’s right off the ring road which is route 1 (see the map below), and the parking lot is a minute walk from the waterfall. The side that I’m on in the photo above is the opposite side from the parking lot where less folks wander over to. It’s the better side for photography I think! Whenever you find yourself in a rather touristy spot with large crowds, point your feet in any OTHER direction and just wander. Here, I pointed my American feet 180 degrees away and wandered over the bridge and down at this rocky lower end of the waterfall. I’d say it was worth it, but you can be the judge of that by the photos below…  My trusty traveling companion, the sony a6000 with the 10-18mm is what I trusted for these long exposure shots. I know Sony just came out with the a6300 or something but now that makes the a6000 even cheaper, and it’s already a boss camera! Stick with this one and save the extra cost for a trip 🙂 This shot above is accessible from a path that diverts from the main path (left side facing the waterfall) along the top of the waterfall ledges into the rocky river bank below. It’s a little steep, so be careful, but it brings you right up to the bottom of the waterfall if you are brave enough!! Make sure to bring a waterproof cover or plastic bag for your camera because even from where I was standing here, I was getting misty wet from how powerful the falls are.There’s a cute store (aka bathrooms!) and gas station here for all your traveling needs, or just to refill your increasing need for Icelandic chocolate bars!

I’ll leave y’all with a little rhyme I thought of at this amazing place, which seems to whisper it’s beauty on the wings of the wind straight from it’s soul…if you sit still enough, long enough…

restless winds

a restless mind

no where to seek

no where to find

waters roar on by

and wonder why

I cannot fly…

🙂

Check out more photos at this link here!

Cheers! – MK