Sigöldufoss

the one with the blue water

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You probably haven’t come across many pictures of Sigöldufoss on the internet, if any. That’s because this waterfall is found in the Highlands and so it remains off the beaten path, away from the crowds. This is something that can’t be said about most of the waterfalls in Iceland - everyone just loves “chasing waterfalls” these days.

The distinctive feature about Sigöldufoss is the vibrant blue colour of its water. I may have enhanced it just a little in my photo above, but the blue is very much real - a quick online search can confirm this. And there is more to this turquoise water than meets the eye, as Sigöldufoss has not always been this way. One could argue this waterfall is part natural, part man-made.

The waterfall used to be part of a glacial river with a much larger volume of flow than there is today. This wouldn’t be just clean spring water, but also mud and other residue, like most other waterfalls. When a hydroelectric plant was built there in 1978, the river was redirected into a tunnel to harness its power. What was left was a smaller flow of clear spring water that makes up Sigöldufoss today. This water is clear and appears turquoise in colour at the base where the river runs deeper, a feature that really sets it apart from most other waterfalls in Iceland.

Even though Sigöldufoss is part of the Highlands, it is relatively easy to get to with a car and it’s only a 15 minute drive from The Hrauneyjar Highland Center, on the way to Landmannalaugar via F208. It’s easy to drive past it though, we almost did, being too focused on the destination that lay ahead of us. But this hidden gem is definitely worth a stop!