Breiddalsafoss Waterfall

Breiddalsafoss drops beside the road in East Iceland. Coming from Reyðarfjörður it stands on the right, close enough to see from the car. The fall itself is small. What makes the stop longer is the ground above it: a narrow sheep track leaves the verge just before the bridge and leads to a viewpoint over the water. Nothing marks it. A second track runs from the far side of the bridge. Both wander off into open grazing land, and blueberries grow along them. Sheep are everywhere here — on the slopes, on the verge and on the road itself.

• Sheep on the road: they graze loose along this stretch and step onto the tarmac without warning. Slow down.
• No toilets, no water: there is nothing of the kind at the fall, and nothing within several kilometres of it.
• Nothing explains the site: there is no information board, and the track to the viewpoint carries no sign.
• Wear proper footwear: the route above the fall is a sheep path, not a built trail.

This is a drive. No bus serves the waterfall, and the nearest stop is more than 5 km away. Coming from Reyðarfjörður, Breiddalsafoss appears on the right, hard by the road, and the water is visible from the verge. The viewpoint needs a walk: a narrow sheep track leaves the road just before the bridge, unmarked, so watch for the point where it begins. A second track starts on the other side of the bridge.

Best: late summer, when blueberries ripen along the sheep tracks above the fall.

Avoid: rain and wind. There is no shelter here and nothing to do but look at the water.

Breiddalsafoss sits off the main tourist route through the east, so it rarely gathers a crowd at any hour.