About Hraunfossar and Barnafoss
Hraunfossar and Barnafoss are two waterfalls on the Hvítá river in West Iceland, about 30 minutes off the Ring Road via Route 518. They sit close together and are usually visited as a pair.
Hraunfossar -- "Lava Falls" -- is the more unusual of the two. Rather than a single drop, it is a series of small streams that emerge directly from beneath the edge of Hallmundarhraun, a lava field that extends north from the Langjökull glacier. The water filters through the porous lava rock and appears at the riverbank over a width of around 900 metres, flowing gently into the turquoise Hvítá below. The effect is unlike most waterfalls in Iceland -- quiet and diffuse rather than dramatic, with pale blue-green water sliding over dark rock.
Barnafoss -- "Children's Falls" -- is a short walk upstream. Here the river narrows through a gorge it has carved through the volcanic rock, and the water moves with considerably more force. A stone arch spans the gorge above the falls.
The legend of Barnafoss
The name "Children's Falls" comes from a local folk tale. According to the story, two boys from a nearby farm followed their parents over a stone bridge above the falls one Sunday, having been told to stay home. They lost their footing and fell into the water below. When their mother learned what had happened, she placed a curse on the bridge so that anyone who crossed it would drown. The bridge was later destroyed in an earthquake. The arch visible above the falls today is a natural rock formation, not the cursed bridge of the legend.
Visiting the falls
Both waterfalls are accessible from a shared car park off Route 518. Marked paths run along the riverbank between the two sites. The walk is easy and takes around an hour at a relaxed pace. Entry is free.
Deildartunguhver, Europe's highest-flow hot spring, is about 20 minutes further along Route 518 and is worth combining with a visit to Hraunfossar if you are in the area. Borgarnes is around 30 minutes south and makes a good base for exploring this part of West Iceland.
The falls are a natural detour on any west Iceland self-drive or as a day trip from Reykjavík, which is about 1.5 hours away.
