Iceland’s most famous waterfall, Gullfoss ('Golden Falls') is a spectacular double cascade dropping a dramatic 32m. As it descends, it kicks up magnificent walls of spray before thundering down a rocky ravine. On sunny days the mist creates shimmering rainbows, and in winter the falls glitter with ice. Although it's a popular sight, the remote location still makes you feel the ineffable forces of nature that have worked this landscape for millennia.
Above, there's a small tourist information centre and shop, and the cafe is famous for its organic lamb soup.
Gullfoss has been visited since about 1875, and Sigríður Tómassdóttir (1871–1957) and her sisters made the first stairs to the falls, guiding people through formerly impassable terrain. In 1907, foreign investors wanted to dam the Hvítá river, which feeds the falls, for a hydroelectric project. Sigríður's father Tómas Tómasson only leased them the land, but the developers got permission from the government. Sigríður walked barefoot to Reykjavík to protest. When the investors failed to pay the lease, the agreement was nullified and the falls escaped destruction. Gullfoss was donated to the nation and since 1979 it's been a nature reserve. Look for the memorial to Sigríður near the foot of the stairs from the visitors centre.
