Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Fólaldafoss is a waterfall on the Berufjarðará river, right beside the Öxi mountain road (Route 939) above Berufjörður in East Iceland. It is free to visit, has a small car park with picnic tables, and most people need 20–30 minutes for the short walk down. The road is a summer shortcut, so check conditions before you go.
Fólaldafoss is a plunge-type waterfall where the Berufjarðará river drops through a narrow gap into a pool. It sits just off the Öxi road, which climbs from the Ring Road in Berufjörður up towards the Öxi pass and down to Skriðdalur. Because the road is not on the main route, the falls are quieter than most in Iceland, although you will meet a few other drivers in summer.
There is a pull-out with picnic tables close to the top of the falls, and a short path leads down beside a side stream to the base. The surroundings are bare hillside and open heath, which gives the place a lonely, wide-open feel. Fog is common on the pass, so a clear day makes a big difference.
You can see the falls from the road, but the pull-out is easy to miss until you are almost past it, and there are no signs or information boards at the site. Below the main drop the river runs on over a smaller cascade between low cliffs. You can get very close to the water, sit by the stream beside the cascade, or walk around until you find the spot where the whole waterfall is in view.
The waterfall is best known as a stop on the Axarvegur (Öxi) road, a mountain shortcut between the Eastfjords and Egilsstaðir area. A memorial at the picnic area remembers Hjálmar Guðmundsson, who started building the road over Öxi in 1959.
The road is steep and winding, and locals treat it with respect outside summer. Many visitors take it once for the views and the falls, then use the Ring Road around the fjords on the way back.
The Öxi road is a mountain road that is generally a summer route. Check umferdin.is and vedur.is before you go, especially outside June–September, and do not use it in fog, ice or snow.
A small car park and picnic tables. There are no toilets, shops or fuel at the falls. The nearest services are in Djúpivogur and along the Ring Road.
The closest places to sleep are in Djúpivogur and along the Berufjörður and Breiðdalur fjords. Egilsstaðir has the widest choice of hotels and guesthouses if you are travelling across East Iceland.
On the Berufjarðará river beside the Öxi road (Route 939), about 2.3 km up from the Ring Road in Berufjörður, East Iceland.
Yes. There is no entrance fee, and the car park at the pull-out was free at the time of writing.
About 20–30 minutes for the short path to the base and back, plus time for photos.
It is generally a summer road and can be closed or dangerous in snow and ice. Always check umferdin.is before you go.
Sources give between about 16 and 20 metres, so treat it as a rough figure.
Yes, it is visible from Route 939, but only at the last moment. Save the GPS point 64.80367, -14.55944 so you know when to pull in.
About 7 hours' drive along the south coast, so it is a stop on a Ring Road trip and not a day trip from the capital.
