Öxarárfoss

Öxarárfoss and Þingvellir are found along the popular Golden Circle tour route (Route 35). From Reykjavik, take Highway 1 north to Mosfelsbær, then head east on Route 36, following signs to Þingvellir. The several options to reach the falls, the easiest being from the main visitor center at Þingvellir, or from the designated trailead for Öxarárfoss itself. The visitor center is encountered 30km from Highway 1, and the trail directly to the falls another 2.6km down the road. Starting at the visitor center, take the main trail down the ramp from the viewpoint and continue to a lower parking area, past the parking area, then bear left onto a trail that starts climbing again. Take the next left and continue to the base of the falls, a total of 1.7km from the visitor center. From the falls trailhead, the trail drops into the valley and leads directly to the base of the falls in just under one kilometer.Öxarárfoss is a well known waterfall found within the popular Þingvellir National Park, not far from Reykjavík. In addition to þingvellir holding great cultural significance for Iceland, it also offers some exceptionally interesting geology as well, as this part of the country straddles the mid-Atlantic ridge directly. Throughout the area are dozens of fissures formed by the North American and Eurasian plates rifting apart. This is notable because Öxarárfoss is formed as its stream plunges 37 feet over a cliff formed by such a rift, followed by cascades of another 7 feet. Below the falls the stream makes a 90-degree turn to the right, flowing down a trough formed by the rift until it finds a notch to escape its confinement, cascading down another cliff to the broader valley below. Because Þingvellir is among the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland, expect to encounter crowds at the falls - especially during the summer months.