The grey mass
Dense water from the ice.
Markus Trienke — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Syrio — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hansueli Krapf — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Syrio — CC BY-SA 4.0
Dettifoss is a huge waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in north-east Iceland, reputed to be the second most powerful in Europe after the Rhine Falls. The Jökulsá á Fjöllum drops from the Vatnajökull glacier in a dense grey mass, filling the valley with sound and spray, with a force other falls rarely match. The falls are 100 metres wide with a 44-metre drop into the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. The average flow is 193 cubic metres per second, the second largest by volume in Iceland. The name comes from a word for falling. The grey-white colour comes from sediment carried off the ice. It is part of the Diamond Circle tourist route. From the west bank you walk a maintained path to a viewing platform, standing above the falling water and a column of spray, sometimes with a rainbow in the sun. The east bank gives another view, with a path and information panel. Around it are black rocks and small green patches, and the deep canyon runs on to the north. The falls are 50.3 km in a straight line south-east of Húsavík. Paved Route 862 reaches the west bank in most seasons, while gravel Route 864 to the east bank is usually open in summer only. Facilities are minimal. Edges are slippery with spray, so keep to the path and stay away from the water. Bring a waterproof jacket and check road conditions in winter.
Dense water from the ice.
Above water and spray.
Jökulsárgljúfur to the north.
Vatnajökull National Park, north-east Iceland
The west has the easier road in most seasons, and the east is gravel and usually summer only.
Facilities are minimal, so bring your own food and water.