A few weekends ago H and I headed off early one Sunday morning with H’s mom for a day trip in the South of Iceland. H’s mom is a certified guide here in Iceland so we had our own personal tour guide to show us around for the day.
Our plan was to head towards Landmannalaugar and spend the day hiking. After stopping at a tourist information center along the way and being told of a few new to all of us places we made some changes to our plans, pulled out the map and headed off on a mission to find these recommend stops.
A little tip to anyone traveling in this area, just follow along the river Þjórsá and you will be able to find these beautiful places!
Þjórsá, Iceland’s longest river
Our first stop on our newly updated agenda was the waterfall Hjálparfoss. Look carefully for the sign to this waterfall or you might drive by it and miss it as the waterfall is not visible from the road. When we turned down the bumpy gravel road I was sure we were lost but after the first turn you find yourself right in front of this beautiful view.
Hjálparfoss, Iceland
As soon as the car was parked I was off and running around snapping pictures and giggling like a little girl. Something about waterfalls and stunning landscapes brings out my inner child.
After I wore myself out climbing up rocks to get the perfect picture and having H take a dozen pictures of me jumping in front of the waterfall our stomachs told us it was time to have lunch. And what better place to have a picnic than in front of a waterfall with a beautiful river and mountains around you?
Once our bellies where full (and the wind started to pick up) we packed our bags, took a few more photos and said goodbye to the charming Hjálparfoss.
Our next stop was described to us as “the most beautiful place in Iceland” by the man working at the tourist information center. That statement set the bar quite high and I will be honest, I wasn’t expecting much when we set out on a short hike in search of Gjáin.
The hike takes you along a small river with tasty blueberries and beautiful vegetation along the way. I recommend stopping to snack on the blueberries if they are in season, you need to keep your energy up!
After walking for 15 minutes with nothing in sight but the river next to us my hopes for this amazing place were starting to dwindle. When we saw some waterfalls in the distance I put a little pep in my step to reach the end of the path and see what awaited us.
Not too impressive from a distance but after walking for another 10 minutes and climbing one last small hill we finally arrived at Gjáin. And now I am going to be totally cliche and say my breath was taken away by the view that greeted us.
Does this not look like a place that belongs in a fairytale? This picture doesn’t do Gjáin justice, I fully agree with the tourist information man when I say this is the most beautiful place I have seen in Iceland so far! I am already planning my next trip back to this hidden gem so I can do more exploring of this area.
If you are interested in visiting Gjáin follow the directions to get to the historical Icelandic farm Stöng. From there you walk for about 30 minutes and then you will arrive in your own fairytale!
Question of the Day?
Have you found any hidden gems in your area or while traveling?
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