Goðafoss, Northeast Iceland

15/9/2018

The Goðafoss is a waterfall in Northeast Iceland. It is located in the Bárðardalur district of Northeastern Region at the beginning of the Sprengisandur highland road. The water of the river Skjálfandafljót falls from a height of 12 metres over a width of 30 metres. We arrived at Goðafoss on 14.09.2018 and 15.09.2018 and we stayed both nights in a hostel in the heart of Akureyri.

The Goðafoss Waterfall got its name during year 999 or 1000 when Christianity was declared the official religion of Iceland. After that the local Lawspeker threw his statues of the Norse pagan gods into the waterfall. Hence the ‘Waterfall of Gods’.

I used two setups here. For still images, I used my SONY α7RIII and SONY FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM lens, mounted on my Gitzo Mountaineer GT-1542 and FLM 32FP ballhead. I used NiSi CPL, NiSi GND .9 Soft and Nisi ND8 filters to capture these shots. My other setup was mainly for timelapse, where I used SONY α7SII and Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D with NiSi CPL, mounted on the Leofoto LS-284C and Leofoto LH-30 ballhead.

After coming across countless waterfalls in this Land of Fire and Ice, I must say that Goðafoss is the most beautiful of all, with endless shooting opportunities. Here is a slideshow showing the images that was captured at the waterfall:

Some tips while admiring and photographing the Goðafoss Waterfall:

Left side Views (east side, where the station, cafe and guesthouse are) – 5/10 min small trail and the option to get either to a lower or a higher view point. Attention it is a the path to get down is short but steps and not that easy. This is location is best when shooting sunset;
Right side Views (west side) – views next to the parking, possibility to get very close but pay attention. It is slippery and the rocky edges are relatively sharp. This location is best when shooting sunrise.
Most of the tourists go to the parking on the West side.
Next to the cafe there is a bridge to cross the river if you wish to leave your car on one side. From the bridge you can see a small waterfall called Geitafoss;
There is a nice cafe souvenir shop with toilets. Try the smoked salmon sandwich, paired with a cup of hot mocha....heaven!;
Great opportunity to shoot Goðafoss from up above using the drone. I flew my dji Mavic Pro Platinum after shooting the sunrise;
Make sure that you are properly attired to stay warm and comfortable.