Iceland: The Golden Circle Part 3 - Gullfoss to Selfoss
“A mighty rift within the rock
Rent ages since by earthquake shock,
Where Hvita’s frenzied stream
Down plunges with the thunder’s roar
Upon the canyon’s basalt floor
’Twixt walls of golden sheen,
With rainbows arching over all, -
It wins the name of Golden Fall”
Gullfoss Canyon
The afternoon sun beamed down as we left Geysir and headed up the road about ten minutes to Gullfoss. Like Geysir, this place was packed with people; certainly the most we’d see on the whole trip. The Golden Circle reaches from Reykjavík up to Þingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss, and then down to Selfoss and back to Reykjavík. It’s a popular route for folks with limited time in the country because there is a lot to see and do in a small amount of time. There are some great hot springs and restaurants in between these attractions, but we did not do them.
Gullfoss (Gold Falls) is actually two separate falls: an upper one of 33 feet and a lower one of 60 feet that cascades into a narrow gorge. The upper falls are broad, like a small staircase. The lower falls are more dramatic. The falls formed when water exploited a fissure in the basalt and eroded down.
Gullfoss
In 1907, two Danes traveling with King Frederick VII noted:
“No waterfall in Europe can match Gullfoss. In both ferocity and fury, it outdoes Niagara Falls in the United States. The power of thousands of unharnessed horses flows down into the gorge, year in and year out. Soon, however, Gullfoss will surely be harnessed for electricity production to supply the inhabitants of the south of the country with an abundance of light and heat.”
Normally, this would have been a very real possibility, but Iceland has set aside Gullfoss as a nature reserve. Instead, Iceland generates most of its energy from other renewable resources. Geothermal energy around the Reykjanes peninsula and elsewhere in the country contributes 65% of energy production. Hydro accounts for another 20%.
From Gullfoss, we headed south towards Selfoss. Although Kerið Crater was on my radar, it wasn’t high on my must-do’s. But as we approached it in mid-afternoon, I couldn’t help but get excited about a volcanic crater. We pulled in and spent about an hour there, walking the short trail around the rim and then down to the water. Kerið is a small caldera situated at the north end of a series of volcanoes. It is composed of basalt and has some great examples of pahoehoe lava and scoria. The water in the caldera floor is a beautiful aquamarine color and contrasts beautifully with the reddish hues of the rock and bright green of the moss that covers the slopes.
Kerið
With our legs stretched, we headed into Selfoss in search of dinner. It was a bit early for dinner though, so we headed south towards the coast to the Flói Nature Reserve. Flói is situated on a marshy wetland at the mouth of the Ölfusá river. A salty, earthy smell filled the air as we exited the car. More than 90 species of bird can be found here throughout the year and a quarter of those breed regularly. At the end of a small elevated wooden path was a large blind. Inside were chairs and an old pair of binoculars. We set up in hopes of seeing something but found that most birds were too far even for my big lens. We decided to set out on foot through the marsh, which didn’t prove much better. Some of the best shots I got were in the parking lot as we returned.
Staked out.
In a final look around, I climbed a ladder that allows access over a barbed wire fence. Another photography about a hundred yards out waved and then waved me over. Although it was much closer to dinner time now, I felt it would be rude to ignore a fellow bird photographer. I ambled over to meet Benedikt Rúnar Ragnarsson. In my experiences, many photographers are deeply protective of their spots, so it was truly delightful to be invited to his stakeout. On a reedy island in a little pond was a Red-Throated Loon. There was also a mallard, a red-necked phalarope, redshank, and arctic terns. We chatted for a little bit and I was stunned again to find that his wife was from Pennsylvania, just across the river from Trenton. It’s a small world.
Red-throated Loon
Redshank
Arctic Tern
Red-necked Phalarope
Unfortunately, the hour was already late and I had yet to find dinner so Benedikt and I shared our Instagram accounts, wished each other luck, and bid farewell. The city was still quiet on our return.