Gullfoss is the two-stage waterfall on Iceland’s Hvítá river famous for its golden-brown glacial water.
The name Gullfoss means “Golden Falls,” a reference traditionally connected with the golden appearance of the spray and water in sunlight. The Hvítá carries glacial meltwater from Langjökull, Iceland’s second-largest ice cap, before dropping through a narrow, stepped gorge.
The waterfall has an upper drop of about 11 metres and a lower drop of about 21 metres, for a total fall of roughly 32 metres. Its visible shape is especially dramatic because the river seems to disappear into a deep fissure in the basalt canyon.
Gullfoss is one of the best-known stops on Iceland’s Golden Circle sightseeing route. In the early twentieth century, campaigns helped prevent the falls from being used for hydroelectric power, preserving the landmark as a natural attraction.