{"id":371,"date":"2021-08-05T17:00:02","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T17:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/icelandaurora.com\/tours\/?p=371"},"modified":"2023-11-19T16:25:14","modified_gmt":"2023-11-19T16:25:14","slug":"godafoss-waterfall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icelandaurora.com\/archive-phototours\/godafoss-waterfall\/","title":{"rendered":"Go\u00f0afoss Waterfall – North Iceland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Go\u00f0afoss Waterfall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Go\u00f0afoss Waterfall is my favourite waterfall to photograph in all of Iceland. This amazing Northern waterfall is easily in my top five of all Icelandic locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stunning Go\u00f0afoss Waterfall is one of the most beautiful natural wonders of Iceland. Located in the northeast part of the country, this breathtaking waterfall is a must-see destination for any nature enthusiast or tourist. It has been featured in many travel guides and is a popular attraction among locals and travelers alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Waterfall of the Gods<\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Go\u00f0afoss Waterfall, which literally translates to \u201cwaterfall of the gods\u201d, derives its name from Old Norse mythology. According to the legend, it was here that the Norse chieftain, Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi spent two days meditating. This meditation led him to decide that Iceland should practice Christianity as its main religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00deorgeirr<\/a> himself was a pagan priest and declared that paganism could still be practiced in private. In an act of commitment to the new religion, he threw all his pagan idols into the Goafoss waterfall, and hence it became known as the Goafoss \u2018Waterfall of the gods\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I get to Go\u00f0afoss Waterfall?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Go\u00f0afoss is located in the North Central region of Iceland, about 40 minutes drive from Akureyri and about 40 minutes from M\u00fdvatn. It is about an 80-minute drive from the eastern side of Dettifoss waterfall.  The famous waterfall is very close to the ring road, so no diversion is necessary. This makes Go\u00f0afoss Waterfall easily accessible all year round.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first encounter with Godafoss was on my first road trip around Iceland.\u00a0 I was driving around Iceland anti-clockwise.\u00a0 After successfully cooking my evening meal on the hot springs at Namaskard, I camped at Myvatn Lake.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t find much at Lake Myvatn, so I continued along the ring road.\u00a0 The waterfall was a surprising sight as I came down a hill.\u00a0 The horseshoe cascade sat beautifully in the landscape, and I felt like a real explorer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Godafoss<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Go\u00f0afoss waterfall is a large horseshoe complex, and the total stretch of cascading water is around 30 meters. The legendary saga character \u2018Grettir the Strong\u2019 is said to have dove down into the falls and was able to swim to the caves behind the water. Grettir was also famous for swimming across the Norwegian fjords, so this remarkable feat of diving behind Godafoss seems unbelievable to most people, but not to Grettir the Strong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo Tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The main tourist spot is a car park on the western bank, but if you cross the bridge, you can access the eastern side, where it is possible to get down to the lower river bank. The eastern side offers more photographic opportunities. It is worth exploring both sides thoroughly. Super-wide angles work best on the western side. 24-50 mm works best on the eastern side.\u00a0 I would suggest observing the wind direction and picking a side with less spray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try experimenting with slow shutter speeds ranging from 1\/4 second to 1\/125 second in the daytime.\u00a0 In the evening or at night, use longer exposures for better colour saturation.\u00a0 Long exposures will give you the Milky Water Effect, so having a neutral density filter (N.D.) is generally a good idea.\u00a0 A circular polarizer can also help to give you better saturation of colours and longer exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The falls are facing north, so getting the Northern Lights behind the falls is actually quite rare because they don\u2019t often light up the southern sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Godafoss
Get your selfie stick out and pose with Godafoss waterfall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Seasons at Go\u00f0afoss Waterfall<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best time to visit Go\u00f0afoss is mid-summer at sunrise, \u2013 the rising sun shines straight through the canyon onto the waterfall. Or almost any winter day, if you can get there.\u00a0 The problem with planning a winter trip to Godafoss waterfall is the possibility of getting stranded in the north.\u00a0 They are very quick to close the main road south if there is heavy snowfall.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I heard of a photo workshop that got stuck at a Myvatn Hotel for almost a week, and even the hotel ran out of food.\u00a0 The photo above was taken on a winter tour in February.\u00a0 This was an expensive trip because I had a minor fender bender on a very slippery mountain road.\u00a0 And the main road was closed for one night.\u00a0 We were lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to Stay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the Summer, it is worth trying to book a room at\u00a0Fossh\u00f3ll Guesthouse<\/a>.\u00a0 This bright yellow guesthouse is actually on the site, and you can see Go\u00f0afoss waterfall from the building.\u00a0 There is a grassy area with basic facilities for camping.\u00a0 Camping doesn\u2019t normally have to be pre-booked. The guesthouse is seasonal and only opens in the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the winter, I would recommend the guesthouse at\u00a0Storu Laugar.\u00a0 The guesthouse is on a farm estate and has a hot tub in the garden.\u00a0 It is also close to a heated swimming pool, and there is a pizza grill and a small shop in the village.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sponsored<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go\u00f0afoss Hotels<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

These hotels are so close to Go\u00f0afoss\u00a0waterfall that you won’t miss the summer sunrise. If you want a high standard of accommodation, I would recommend the following because they are really close to the waterfall:<\/p>\n\n\n\n