Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland: captivating, surreal, breathtaking

Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland: captivating, surreal, breathtaking

Gullfoss Waterfall in Iceland rages with sensational beauty and power

Kia has many talents, but there are three things she just doesn't do: cooking, driving and navigating. That's fine - unless I'm on a snowy and slippery road with poor visibility and she's at my side insisting she can't read the map.

Luckily, on this occasion I spotted a sign with a familiar name, þingvellir, and managed to navigate to our destination without the help of my lovely “assistant”.

Gullfoss Waterfall in Iceland rages with a beauty and power so breathtaking that we stood in silence and watched until Kia's coat was covered in snow. We shook it off and carefully walked down a flight of stairs to a path that led to the edge of Europe's most powerful waterfall.

Since it was mid-February, the gate was closed with a large sign preventing visitors from entering. We spotted a few brave souls down by the waterline and of course decided to join them. Progress on the path was slow and slippery. Halfway there, Kia slipped and landed on the ice.

Luckily she was okay and insisted we continue. With a sheepish smile, she admitted that I was right: Maybe her grippy Uggs weren't quite right for this trip.

We reached the edge of the falls, impressed by the completely alien landscape. The white sky and rushing water were captivating, surreal, breathtaking. To get some good photos, I took a few steps onto the ice.

Kia, normally equally unconcerned, immediately shouted for me to come back. (I think watching her boyfriend get swallowed by ice cream wasn't her idea of ​​a perfect vacation.)

Gullfoss is 70 miles from the Icelandic capital and takes a while to reach, but it is absolutely unmissable. In fact, Kia remarked that it was the most impressive thing she had ever seen. Without missing a beat, I told her it was the second most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Of course, she saw through my attempt to score some brownie points and just laughed. We spent an hour walking along the waterline until Kia got too cold (an emerging theme, it seems). We retreated to a nearby café for a warm coffee and a delicious muffin and got ready for the return journey.

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Gullfoss Waterfall in Iceland: THE ESSENTIALS

What: Visit Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland

When to go: We visited Gullfoss Waterfall in Iceland in February, when the path to the waterline was slippery and potentially dangerous.

To be on the safe side, visit the city in the summer months (June, July, August) when the roads are clearest and accessibility is not an issue - but be warned that you will miss the incredible white winter scenery.

How: Book a hotel in Reykjavik and fly to Keflavík Airport, 48 km west of Reykjavík (book flights via skyscanner.net). Reykjavík Excursions' Flybus is the cheapest way to get to the capital, but you may want to rent a car at the airport.

If you travel to Gullfoss by car, you can stop along the way to admire the many breathtaking views. If you prefer, you can get there by booking an excursion. Look for the Gullfoss, Geysir & Þingvellir Afternoon Tour.
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