Hjálparfoss
Hjálparfoss is an incredibly serene shooting gem made up of two falls separated by a rock formation. The two falls tumble down about a 45 degree angle from each other, from about the same height, and their cascades merge as they tumble into a serene pool. The water that flows from Hjálparfoss feeds the country’s second largest hydroelectric dam, which sits just a little downstream. The falls are surrounded by a lava field that was created in one of the many eruptions of the nearby Hekla volcano. Hekla is one of Iceland’s most active, unpredictable and explosive volcanoes, so violent that in the Middle Ages it earned the nickname ‘the Gateway to Hell’. Hjálparfoss is just one of many waterfalls in this area, including Þjófafoss, which flows from the Þjórsá river, and Háifoss, one of the tallest waterfalls in the country. (Southern Region, Iceland)
