Waterfall of the Gods~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS


Godafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods, originates deep in the Icelandic Highlands.

The first cascade falls 12 meters, over a span of 30 meters, and the cascades continue for quite a distance. There is an incredible volume of water moving here, and the sound, spray and color, are quite remarkable.

It is one of Iceland’s many spectacular waterfalls.

Godafoss can be accessed from the nearby town of Akureyri, which in turn is reachable by Iceland’s famed Ring Road.

Akureyri, like all Icelandic towns is charming, and boasts the northern-most botanical garden in the world,

where you can see many unusual and beautiful plants.

We are home at The Holler now, but it is still, cheers to you from stunning Iceland~

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298 thoughts on “Waterfall of the Gods~”

    1. So much water, pristine, moving at such great speed and volume, from these high uninhabited highlands. You can see the water level was low by looking at the sides of the gorge where the water lines are. You can see how the water carves out these huge caverns. I can only imagine it during the early summer melt.

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      1. Oh I think it was wise. Have to say, Brian’s photos included LOTS of people, and that isn’t my thing either, so although I’d love to see it in person, I think I’ll stick to admiring the photos.

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  17. Cindy!! This must be a piece of heaven, if not one of the most beautiful places on earth. My goodness, Iceland is a treasure. Your photos are magnificent.

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  21. Stunning photos of waterfalls and flowers. I love Iceland but have not explored much beyond being at the airport in between flight connections. A university classmate of mine in Heidelberg, Germany was from Iceland. Great post!

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  23. completely magical ! Hi Cindy or as they say in Iceland “Halló” . I think it seems so unspoiled here. Did you also hear that people who consider dating, first ‘bump’ phones and an APP will alarm if you’re related. LOL xK

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      1. Well, I’m coming to California on Monday. Coffee? LOL! No really, I’ll be in Carmel Wed, Thurs and San Jose Fri to the following Wed. Is that anywhere near The Holler?

        So I found this old CBC news story. Might even be when I first heard about this. The island has such a small population, that if your heritage is long in Iceland, it’s very possible that other singles you meet might be a relations. Here’s the story:

        https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/kissing-cousins-icelandic-app-warns-if-your-date-is-a-relative-1.1390256

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        1. Hilarious! I bet it was more of a problem in the past when Iceland was even more isolated. I am in Southern Cal and you are going to Northern Cal where my daughter lives. However, depending on what is going on with her, I may actually be up there with her. I will save your email address. If I am there, I will email you. I would love to get together! <3

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          1. That would be fannntastic Cindy! My tn is 7809742742, feel free to text me if you are are able to hook up before Oct 10. We’re in Carmel this Wed, Thur and back to San Jose Friday. Pls delete this message after you get that tn down x K

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            1. Well, I have been here for three nights. The twin boys have arrived. One was in NICU for a bit, but all come home today. I basically forget to eat. I remember that I forgot at night, thinking, “Oh, I forgot to eat!” I highly recommend having your daughter have tiny, gorgeous, sweet, premature twins, as an aid in weightloss! I would so love to see you, but there is no possible way I can leave now. Hugs to you. Enjoy Carmel! She is not planning on having any more twins, so time next time your here, let’s keep our fingers crossed. <3

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              1. OMgosh! That is wonderful news Cindy! Congratulations 😀 <3 I hope all are doing well now and looking forward to arriving home. Grams need energy, so do remember to eat.
                We enjoyed Carmel and my hubster went home today. I'm with Alys till Wednesday. My invite is always open ! xK

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    1. September is not the best time to go. You are going to encounter weather in September. I just like going places off season. But in Iceland this is not the best strategy. I would recommend July. The benefit of September is that a traffic jam is defined by encountering another car on the ring road maybe once or twice a day.

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  27. I don’t really have a bucket list, but after seeing your Iceland photos, maybe I’ll start one! The botanical garden was a lovely surprise; I wonder if they grow the fabled (and very difficult) Himalayan blue poppies there.

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    1. Interesting you should say this.
      I notice poppies. Thinking things like, “Wow, here are the Icelandic Poppies I grow at The Holler, and love so much, that originate from here.”
      So fragile, and so tough, to endlessly live in such a harsh environment.
      Maybe both traits are related.
      I didn’t see the Himalayan Blue, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t there, because there were so many flowers and plants in Iceland I had never seen before and couldn’t identify. I was just blown away by all of them.
      I think you should go and investigate. I know you will find tons of amazing poppies, and maybe this one too.
      Poppies are remarkable aren’t they.
      My grandfather’s father was a poppy plantation owner in Bulgaria. My grandfather, who was an immigrant to America, became a federal judge, and his gardens were featured in Architectural Digest.
      He grew everything except poppies.
      I must have inherited the plant sense from his family tree.
      But I do grow Icelandic Poppies.
      I don’t know, actually, if my great grandfather, was an opium producer, or damn good gardener, or both.

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      1. The blue poppies bloom in late spring. But they do well in cool, damp climates. Scotland, for example, which is why I thought they might be grown in Iceland.
        Iceland poppies! I should have thought of them; in fact, I did grow them a few times in my former garden. They are a remarkable genus that includes the whole range of colours and species that can be found almost anywhere.
        Your family connections to plants are interesting; thanks for sharing!

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  32. Awe Iceland! The number one country I’d like to explore. I’ve been there once, but there was a terrible snowstorm, and no one was allowed to leave the airport for three days, then we were sent to Denmark.. I’m going back one day. Your photos are lovely! Thank you for sharing them.

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  33. Breathtaking! You are a true travel blogger in every sense of the word. Thank you for all those beautiful pictures. You inspire me to want to to travel.

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  34. My goodness…those photos are simply incredible, especially the colour of those purple flowers. I don’t think I’ve seen a purple quite that rich before.

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    1. These are glacial waters, full of suspended silt. The silt is created when rocks underneath the surface of the glacier are grinding from the movement of the glacier. The rock flour that is created is very fine and light and stays suspended in the melting glacial water for a long time. The sunlight that reflects off this rock flour is what gives the water the spectacular turquoise blue color.

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