Iceland – South Coast (part 2)

Along the south coast is a small village of Vik.

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Vik means “bay” in Icelandic. It is the southernmost town in Iceland. Vik has a population of 300 or so people and its main income is from wool. Katla, one of Iceland’s volcano is nearby. The people that live here needs to be prepared if ever Katla will erupt, there would most likely be a flash flood from the Mýrdalsjökul Glacier which could potentially wipe out the entire town.

In Iceland, there are lots of waterfalls. Some are already named and some are not, some are in the backyard of a small community or private residence.

How cool is that? Having your own waterfalls in your own backyard!

Seljalandsfoss waterfall

It is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland. Seljalandsfoss waterfall was not nearly as wide as Skógáfoss. You can actually walk behind it and be prepared to get wet because of all the splashing water. This is one of Iceland‘s most photograph waterfalls. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to walk behind it, we got limited time.

Skógafoss waterfall

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Skógafoss is also called the Rainbow waterfalls because it is often you will see a rainbow when it is sunny and sometimes it can produce a double rainbow if the water flow is strong and the sun strikes directly on the mist. There is also a viewpoint on top of the waterfalls but it’s too high for me to climb up the stairway. Skógafoss waterfall is actually one of the biggest with a drop of 200 feet. Legend has it that a Viking once buried a treasure behind the falls. People claim that a ring from the treasure was found, and it is now displayed in a nearby church, but the rest of the treasure supposedly remains for anyone brave enough to face the pounding waterfall. There is also a trail on right side of the falls, you can climb up to the top for a better view of the area.

Foss a Sidu

This falls is not as big as the other falls, but the surrounding scenic beauty is what make it unique. Sometimes when the wind coming from the ocean is so strong, the flow starts going uphill. A village is settled in the location and Foss a Sidu defines its landscape.