Brúarfoss - the blue waterfall

The almost unreal blue of the water makes Brúarfoss something really special

Brúarfoss waterfall is famous for its brilliantly blue color. In fact, it is nicknamed “Iceland’s Bluest Waterfall”.  The name means “Bridge Falls” as there was apparently once a stone archway there that crossed the river.  The archway is long gone but the waterfall has kept its name.  It is fed by the Brúará river (Bridge River) that flows down from the Langjökull glacier. The fact that it is glacial meltwater is what gives the water in the river its icy blue colour.

Although the waterfall itself is well worth a visit in its own right, the reason I love it so much is that the walk to it is so very pretty.  It´s not a long walk or a difficult hike as it´s all fairly level and most of the time you are walking along the banks of the Brúará river, but it is a very pretty walk and you pass another two smaller waterfalls on your way to Brúarfoss itself so it feels like you are really getting good value!  The hike is around 7km or 4.4 miles.  The trail is open all year round but can get inaccessible during winter snows and when the rocks become particularly icy.

Several shots taken in the winter as the sun begins to set in mid-afternoon. This hike is beautiful in any season

In the past year or so, Brúarfoss has become part of the tourist trail and there are many coach tours to see it. There is also a huge sign that has been posted up beside the main road to Geysir and Gullfoss so it is an attraction that it is impossible to miss if you are travelling around the Golden Circle. It used to be a bit of a hidden gem as you cannot see it from any of the main roads and it necessitated a short hike to get to it and, I must admit, I much preferred visiting it in those days as there were fewer other people around and it was never crowded. It is a very different matter now but I guess it ensures that many more people get to see the lovely waterfall than would otherwise have been able to…. A huge new car park has been set up which is quite close to Brúarfoss itself, with a road (signposted) having been built from the main road to the car park. So you can now drive right up to Brúarfoss itself, park up (it´s a paid car park as with many others across the country so you will need to download the Parka app and pay to park) and walk the short way to view Brúarfoss from the bridge. The whole trip can be done in a very short time so it can now easily be an add-on to your day touring round the Golden Circle. If you don´t want to walk the 3.5km each way hike then this is the better option but it feels like missing out to me – I would much rather do the hike.  Even though it´s an out and back hike, it doesn´t feel boring, as the views are so different, depending on your direction, and the terrain is also very varied as the hike progresses.  There are also two other pretty waterfalls to see on the way which will be missed if you don´t make the hike.

One of the many lovely views along the hike

There is a small car parking area at the start of the trail, set just off the main road to Geysir in the Golden Circle.  There is only room for a dozen cars at most here, but then I´ve never seen it completely full, particularly now that the new road and car park has been built.  The first section is probably the least interesting, as you leave the small parking lot and follow the path across a wide flat area, soon rejoining the river and following its path.  In the winter months, this is a fairly unexciting section of the hike, but in the summer months it is rather lovely as it can be a riot of birdsong, with many pretty little meadow flowers alongside the path.  After a gentle wander, you come across a small stream with stepping stones that you can use to cross, and the walk is much more of a woodland setting.  Be warned – this section can be VERY muddy indeed.  If the weather has been wet, be prepared to wade through deep mud here – boots are essential.  If the ground is frozen, the going will be easier (although very slippery). The best conditions are after a prolonged dry spell, when the path is walkable.  As the path begins to widen out you will hear the first of the waterfalls.  This one is called Hlauptungufoss.  It´s not as big as many falls you will see in Iceland but it is very powerful and can be dangerous.  There is a rocky area from which you can get some great views of the bright blue water – but care is needed here.  Towards  the end of the 2024 season there was a fatality at this section of the hike – the second fatality on the Brúarfoss trail in the past few years.  I am regularly shocked at how many risks we see tourists taking – usually to get action photos or exciting selfies….   You only have to look at the power of the water pounding its way down the gap at Hlauptungufoss to realise that no one who falls in there is likely to survive.

Hlauptungufoss

After a stop to take photos of Hlauptungufoss we follow the path on.  It is much rockier and more uneven here and progress can be a little slower as you find the best route, scrambling over piles of rocks and stones.    The next waterfall is a much shallower drop, more like rapids than an actual waterfall, but is a very pretty view with the mountain beyond.  This is Miðfoss (or the middle waterfall).

Miðfoss

Having passed Miðfoss, it is just a case of following the trail along the river bank until you finally get to Brúarfoss.  There is a wooden bridge that spans the river, which is a good place to get photos of the bright blue waterfall.  Brúarfoss itself is a kind of a horseshoe shape, and is formed by the river bed having a deep crack down the centre, so that the water flows down into the middle of the river.  It´s quite impressive, but is now difficult to find a time when there won´t be a lot of tourists there.  Before the new car park was built, it tended to be quite quiet as a a lot of people either couldn´t be bothered to hike all the way there, or didn´t know about it.  Brúarfoss is now very much on the tourist map though, so do expect to share the view with others.  You don´t have to just take photos from the bridge, if you cross the bridge and then find a point where you can scramble down the steep river bank safely, you can get photographs from the water´s edge.  The waterfall cascades over a series of rocky ledges, creating a captivating display of water rushing through the rugged terrain. The turquoise colour intensifies as the water plunges into a deep, narrow gorge which, in the summer months is surrounded by vibrant green vegetation. The setting feels serene and relatively untouched, offering a sense of solitude and connection with nature.  Brúarfoss is very photogenic, with its juxtaposition of the vibrant blue water and white foam against dark volcanic rocks and lush greenery. 

Brúarfoss

Brúarfoss probably won´t amaze you by its height or the sheer volume of water running through the canyon, (particularly in comparison with many other Icelandic waterfalls) but its out-of-this-world blue colour, combined with the black volcanic rock making up the river bed and  banks, and you won't get many more striking places than this.  So whilst it stands modest at about 3 meters or roughly 10 feet tall—what it lacks in height, it more than makes up for with its vibrant colour and serene setting.  We have also found when visiting later in the autumn, as the days start to draw in, you are often rewarded with beautiful golden evening sunset colours on the walk back, which makes for a real feast for the eyes.  All in all, it´s well worth a visit if you have plenty of time.  If you are on a brief visit and don´t have lots of time to spare, you may want to consider skipping the hike and the other two waterfalls and just taking the new road to the car park, as there are probably many places which will offer you more reward for less time input, but if time is not the object, it makes for a very lovely walk.

A long exposure shot of some of the many cascades of blue glacial water that make up Brúarfoss