Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
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Iceland Travel GuideLOCAL TRAVEL AGENCY IN ICELAND
My trip
Talk to a local
Þjófafoss is a wide, horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Þjórsá river in Þjórsárdalur, South Iceland, in view of Mount Hekla. It is roughly 150 km from Reykjavík, free to visit, and reached by a short unpaved track that needs a 4x4. Most people spend 20–30 minutes here on the way to Háifoss or Landmannalaugar.
Þjófafoss (“Thieves' Falls”) drops about 12 metres over a wide, curved ledge on the Þjórsá, Iceland's longest river. In normal flow the ledge is around 50 metres wide; after heavy rain it widens further and the water turns from its usual clear teal to a muddier, silt-heavy colour. Mount Búrfell rises behind it and Hekla is visible on the skyline, which makes it a popular stop for photographers heading further into the highlands.
The falls lie east of the Merkurhraun lava field, beneath Mount Búrfell, and are protected as a natural monument. Þjófafoss is one of the main waterfalls on the Þjórsá, which runs from the central highlands to the south coast and forms the old boundary between the counties of Árnessýsla and Rangárvallasýsla. It is not a tall waterfall. What makes it worth the detour is the width, the force of the water and the mountain standing directly behind it.
The Þjórsá has been dammed upstream for hydroelectric power, so the flow here is smaller and steadier than it would be naturally, and is generally highest in summer when meltwater and the reservoir release are greatest. The waterfall sits below the historical route into Þjórsárdalur, an area also known for the Stöng turf farm ruins buried by Hekla's 1104 eruption.
Local tradition says the waterfall's name comes from a punishment once carried out here: people convicted of theft were said to have been drowned in the pool below the falls. Like many Icelandic place names tied to old punishments, the story is passed down rather than officially documented, but it has stuck to the waterfall ever since.
There is no fuel or services in this part of Þjórsárdalur, so fill up before heading in. The area sits close to the edge of the highlands, so check road conditions on road.is before you go, particularly outside summer.
Much of the Þjórsá is diverted past the waterfall for hydropower. The river is dammed at Sultartangi, where it forms the Sultartangalón reservoir. From there the water runs through the Sultartangi power station into the Bjarnarlón reservoir, and then through the Búrfell power station (Búrfellsstöð), before rejoining the riverbed below the falls.
The result is that Þjófafoss often carries only a fraction of the river, and the flow is lower in winter than in summer. The best time to see it at full strength is late summer, when Sultartangalón is full and the surplus spills down the old river channel and over the falls. On a low-flow day the water is clear and turquoise; when the reservoir overflows it is wide, milky and loud.
Þjófafoss fits well into three different trips.
There are no facilities at Þjófafoss itself: no toilets, café or fuel. The nearest services are in Hella or Selfoss.
Most visitors stay in Hella, Selfoss or along the South Coast and visit Þjófafoss as a detour on the way to the highlands or Landmannalaugar.
A 4x4 is recommended for the last few kilometres of unpaved track, especially after rain or in winter.
No, Þjófafoss is free to visit and there is no parking fee.
About 150 km, around 2 hours by car.
Local tradition holds that people convicted of theft were once drowned in the pool below the falls, though this is folklore rather than documented history.
Usually in late summer. Much of the Þjórsá is diverted through the Sultartangi and Búrfell power stations, and the falls are fullest when the Sultartangalón reservoir is full and the surplus flows down the old riverbed.
The south side, reached from Route 26. It is easier to get to and has the better view. You cannot cross the river at the waterfall.
