Dettifoss
Europe's most voluminous waterfall, about 100 m wide and 44 m high. Glacial grey water thunders into the canyon with astonishing force.
Dettifoss sits on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river in the canyon north of Vatnajökull National Park. It is about 100 m wide with a 44 m drop. Its average flow is roughly 193 cubic metres per second, making it Europe's largest waterfall by volume. The grey river, laden with glacial silt, crashes into the gorge in a cloud of spray, and the falls were a filming location for Prometheus. The west bank is reached by the paved Route 862. From the car park, a walk of about 15 minutes leads to a viewing platform facing the falls head-on. On the east bank, the gravel Route 864 lets you stand at the very edge of the falls for a close look. About 1 km upstream is Selfoss, and downstream is Hafragilsfoss, both reachable on foot. Admission is free, but parking on the west bank is charged. It is about 50 km from Mývatn and 150 km from Akureyri, and it is often combined with the Ásbyrgi canyon as part of the Diamond Circle loop. The rocks along the river are slippery and have no railings, so stay strictly on the trails.
Opening hours
All day (winter road may be closed)
Nearby sights
- Selfoss
- Hafragilsfoss
- Hljóðaklettar
- Ásbyrgi
- Krafla & Víti Crater
- Leirhnjúkur
- Hverir (Námaskarð)
- Mývatn Nature Baths