Epic Travel → Europe → Iceland → Southwest Iceland → Faxi

Location: Golden Circle, Southwest Iceland

Time Required: 15 – 30 minutes

Red Tape/Notes: Open 24 hours a day; admission is free.

What’s Nearby?: Gullfoss, Geysir, Friðheimar, Hrunalaug, Reykjavík, Eldhestar, Glymur, Thingvellir

Faxi is a great little waterfall that’s just off the road to/from Geysir and Gullfoss, and in my opinion is a more enjoyable stop than Gullfoss. It has a similar feel, because it’s wide, spanning the whole river, but on a much smaller scale (the river here is 300 feet wide and the falls drop 22 feet – by comparison, Gullfoss is twice as wide and its highest drop is 3 times as long). I guess that’s why people don’t stop here, and one of the reasons I like it so much. We left hoards of people at Gullfoss and had this spot all to ourselves. The hillside leading down to the river and waterfall provide a nice overall view of the falls, and you can walk down to the base for views from river level. There’s a cool fish ladder next to the falls, and you can hike up to the top of the waterfall (either via the fish ladder or a trail) for views from that direction as well.

Epic Travel → Europe → Iceland → Southwest Iceland → Faxi