Top Things to do in West Region
The 10 Best Waterfalls in West Region, Iceland
Discover the best top things to do in West Region, Iceland including Hraunfossar Lava Waterfall, Klukkufoss, Hraunfossar, Glymur, Faxi (Vatnsleysufoss) Waterfall, Kirkjufellsfoss, Bjarnarfoss, Barnafoss, Svodufoss, Selvallafoss.
Restaurants in West Region
1. Hraunfossar Lava Waterfall
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 32 reviews
Reviewed By jazsacher - Bangkok, Thailand
As waterfalls go, this place is a must. There are various impressive viewpoints to gaze upon this sprawling and majestic series of waterfalls. We had visited a number of average sites throughout the day and felt that maybe we were tapped out as far as beautiful nature visits are concerned. However, our visit here changed all that. I loved how big this place was and it had many elements to it which I also appreciated. I highly recommend visiting this place in Western Iceland. So incredible !
2. Klukkufoss
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By majacobi2000 - Zwickau, Germany
It's worth the short off road drive to a tiny parking spot next to a picnic table. 15 min hike on a path that you might miss if there's much snow. Beautiful!
3. Hraunfossar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 640 reviews
Reviewed By 940lizh - Whitehaven, United Kingdom
Definitely worth a visit. We have visited here before on a sunny day when the water was a gorgeous blue colour. Today was a bit cloudy so water not as blue. None the less definitely worth a visit. Well signposted. Easy to get to plenty of parking. Now there is a cafe not too far away so you can have a chance to warm up on a cold day .
4. Glymur
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 322 reviews
Reviewed By dr_j_now - Germantown, United States
This hike was seriously amazing. It took some convincing to get my wife to agree to it, but we went for it and had a blast. The views the entire way are just absolutely stunning and it was a ton of fun doing river crossings and conquering the parts of the trail that were challenging. As others have mentioned it's recommended that you hike up the Southern side (right, facing the falls) and return on the North (left, facing the falls). Once you get going you'll understand why as some areas of the trail up do have loose rocks and are quite steep, so it's much easier to go up than come back down that way. The views on the way up were way better than on the way down as well, so definitely don't skip that side altogether. That said, to do both sides you have to cross the river twice. At the start there is a log most of the year and a cable to hold onto to help you across. You'll still want waterproof boots as otherwise the rest of the hike could be miserable with waterlogged shoes. You'll encounter a cave to walk through on the way up as well which is pretty neat. It seemed like very few people ventured to the very top, but it's totally worth the bit of extra effort for the views (and sense of accomplishment). It is at the very top that you'll encounter that 2nd river crossing to get to the Northern side. The crossing at the top is quite a bit wider than the first, so there's no cable or log to help you across here. The depth may vary throughout the year, but when we visited there were areas up near our knees (which doesn't sound bad at all, but the water was downright frigid). Wearing our shoes, even though waterproof, was out of the question considering the depth, so we took them off and went barefoot. We relied on each other for balance to help make it across since some of the rocks were slippery and/or rather painful to step on barefoot if we hit them on the wrong part of our foot. We made it though, dried our feet/legs off, put our boots back on, and carried on to head back to our car down the Northern route. Truly, this hike was amazing; by far our favorite hike anywhere thus far. This is basically the tallest (accessible) waterfall in Iceland at 198 meters. They discovered a taller one in 2011 (Morsi), but it's recommended that you be an experienced glacial hiker with the correct equipment to get anywhere near it, so that leaves most of us to explore Glymur. For Glymur, if you're reasonably fit you shouldn't have much of a problem, so just do it (being careful along the way of course)!
5. Faxi (Vatnsleysufoss) Waterfall
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 208 reviews
Reviewed By sharonq867 - Zeeland, The Netherlands
Very nice waterfall where we ended up unexpectedly. We just followed the sign to see where it would bring us and we did not expect this. Beautiful waterfall and very quiet. You can see the waterfall from below or for the daredevil from up in the small stroke of ground when you cross the stones. A nice waterfall that is worth a stop when you drive by
6. Kirkjufellsfoss
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 272 reviews
Reviewed By Ranger145 - Grand Junction, United States
This waterfall although not huge is a must if on the Snafellsjokull Peninsula! The access and walkup is very easy and the view toward Kirkjufellsfell Mountain is worth it. The parking lot is small which may require you to park across the road if busy. 10 minute climb to the view point.
7. Bjarnarfoss
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By 538JoanneH - London, United Kingdom
We just spotted this from the road (like everyone else) so hopped out for a closer look. Two of us climbed the steep little path past the bridge viewpoint to get nearer the top - recommended if you have the time and agility and a waterproof coat! Otherwise you can see the falls well from the bottom. A good little stop on a Snaefellsnes road trip.
8. Barnafoss
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 52 reviews
Reviewed By teddy1014 - Brooklyn, United States
You'll see tons of waterfalls in Iceland, but this one is a bit different than the rest, as it's really made up of hundreds of little waterfalls, and covers what seems like a mile of a river's bank. Definitely worth stopping by if you're nearby for the Víðgelmir cave or Krauma Baths. There's also a short hiking trail to see different parts of the falls, and a restaurant in the parking lot..
9. Svodufoss
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By haanahh - Prague, Czech Republic
There is an easy hike to the waterfall that takes you around 20 minutes from the parking lot. The path is marked, so follow it, it is a straight path that at the end goes bit uphill as you climb on the side of the waterfall. Almost no one comes to explore this waterfall, so there is a high chance you will have it all for yourselves.
