Goðafoss
Goðafoss, meaning Waterfall of the Gods, is one of North Iceland's most celebrated waterfalls, sitting directly off the Ring Road about 50 kilometres east of Akureyri on the Skjálfandafljót river. It is 12 metres high and 30 metres wide, split into two horseshoe-shaped cascades by an island called Hrútey in the river above. The name comes from an event in the year 1000 AD when Iceland's Lawspeaker, Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, decided that Iceland would convert from paganism to Christianity rather than risk a civil war between the two faiths. On returning home from the Althing, he is said to have thrown his statues of the Norse gods into this waterfall, symbolically marking the end of Iceland's pagan era. The waterfall is free to visit, accessible from both banks of the river, and open year-round.
The Waterfall Where Iceland's Pagan Gods Were Thrown Away, Marking the Nation's Conversion to Christianity in the Year 1000
The story behind the name Goðafoss is one of the most significant single events in Icelandic history. In the year 1000 AD, Iceland's Althing, the national assembly at Þingvellir, was facing a crisis: the country was divided between Christians, many converted under pressure from the Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason, and those who maintained the traditional Norse pagan faith. Violence between the two groups threatened the social order. The assembly asked its Lawspeaker, Þorgeir Ljósvetningagoði, a pagan priest from the Ljósavatn farm near this waterfall, to make a binding decision for the whole country. He spent a night under a cloak in thought and emerged the next morning to declare that Iceland would adopt Christianity as its official religion, while allowing private pagan practice to continue. The decision avoided civil war and shaped the country's identity for the next millennium. On his return home, Þorgeir threw his pagan idols into the river at this spot.
The waterfall itself is formed where the Skjálfandafljót river, Iceland's third longest, drops 12 metres over a curved basalt edge in a wide horseshoe shape. The river splits above the falls around the small island of Hrútey, creating the two distinct arcs of the cascade. The water is glacially fed and takes on the characteristic turquoise colour common to glacial rivers in clear weather, contrasting vividly with the dark basalt rock beneath. Walking paths run along both banks of the river, giving different perspectives on the falls. The eastern bank, accessible from the main car park on the Ring Road, gives a slightly elevated view of the full width of the cascade; a path from the western bank car park leads down to river level and closer to the waterfall's edge. Both are worth taking if time allows.
Goðafoss is on Route 1, the Ring Road, about 50 kilometres east of Akureyri and 320 kilometres from Reykjavík. It is a natural stop on any North Iceland itinerary and one of the five main sites on the Diamond Circle scenic route alongside Lake Mývatn, Dettifoss, Ásbyrgi Canyon, and Húsavík. The falls are free to visit and accessible year-round, with car parks on both sides of the river bridge. In winter the spray freezes on the surrounding rocks and the falls take on an entirely different character. The nearby village of Fosshóll has a petrol station and a hotel.
