Iceland

The Island of Fire, Ice and Waterfalls


Seljalandsfoss Escape
A visitor tries to take shelter of the heavy irrigation caused by a sudden change in the wind, near Seljalandsfoss.
on the edge of the meander
One of the many rivers and streams that flow through Iceland.
The way to Detifoss
Signpost for the largest waterfall in Europe, almost completely buried by snow.
Svartifoss Standard
Svartifoss, a waterfall that falls over a cliff made of hexagonal columns carved by the rapid solidification of lava.
forced crossing
Icelandic horse crosses an icy stream during the last days of winter on the island.
ET acrobat
A native student dressed as an alien in front of the Seljalandfoss waterfall.
On the edge of Gulfoss
Visitors next to Gulfoss, a majestic waterfall of the Hvítá river.
Next stops
Plate indicates 18 distances from Bardardalur.
Svartifoss stream
Svartifoss's tiny flow drops past what remains of a vast bed of snow and ice that has remained in the past few months.
Godafoss
The waterfall where chief Thorgeir Ljósvetningagodi got rid of the ancient pagan gods.
on the way to Myvatn
Bridge over the river Svarta, in Bardardalur and in the vicinity of the waterfall Godafoss.
seljalandsfoss
Visitors approach the base of one of Iceland's most accessible waterfalls, just a short distance from the roadside and the sea.
The Gulfoss Moat
A geological depression invaded by the voluminous flow of the Hvitá river;, at certain times after rain or melting, much more impressive than in the image.
last jump
Upper section of Skogafoss Waterfall Fall
white water
The Skjálfandafljót river proceeds through its deep bed after falling from Godafoss.
waterfall mirror
Skogafoss' elusive flow is reflected in a pond.
The Gulfoss II Moat
Impressive apex of the flow of the Hvitá river which, after the jump, proceeds through a narrow gorge.
Europe's supreme cascade rushes into Iceland. But it's not the only one. On this boreal island, with constant rain or snow and in the midst of battle between volcanoes and glaciers, endless torrents crash.

We have long since lost sight of the low houses of Akureyri and only tiny patches of the stream that runs along the northern stretch of the Ring Road, which we follow, remains free from the winter suffocation.

The whiteness does not stifle a rising brooding nor the mist we glimpse drifting in the distance.

After many kilometers of vertigo, the Skjálfandafljót river suffers, there, the most dramatic of the geological stumbles that its journey from the supreme domain of Bárdarbunga to the bay of Skjálfandi submits to.

on the edge of the meander

One of the many rivers and streams that flow through Iceland.

The Godafoss Iceland Divine Cascade

We cross the bridge that crosses it and park. We walk without tact or faith about iceland snow with 40 cm in height and, despite the sensation of imminent collapse, we reached the high margin.

From that somewhat treacherous position, we unveil the half-frozen, stalactite splendor of Godafoss, the cascade of the gods.

The amphitheater of this catadupa is about 30 meters. Slightly dampened before the 12-metre drop, the water from the Skjálfandafljót seems to solidify before our eyes and touches up a sculpture that the cold has shaped since the first days of November.

Godafoss

The waterfall where chief Thorgeir Ljósvetningagodi got rid of the ancient pagan gods.

Whatever the temperature, Godafoss will always be an unavoidable natural monument in Iceland. Its mythological name is justified in one of the oldest and most renowned books in the island's history. narrates the Leslendingabók that, around the turn of the first millennium, its population had to decide whether to preserve Norwegian paganism or embrace Christendom.

After a day and a night of silent meditation under a blanket of furs, a lawgiver and chief named Thorgeir Ljósvetningagodi – who until then was a pagan himself – chose to convert to Christendom.

On his return to his farm in Ljósavatn, he threw the divine idols he had discarded into the churning waters of the waterfall.

The route continues through Sprengisandur and takes us to the volcanic stronghold of Myvatn. We explore its now wet and now icy lunar surface and continue east.

The Frustrated Quest of Detifoss, the Queen of the Waterfalls of Europe

At some point, we detected a set of road signs. Despite being huge, only its top remains uncovered from the accumulated snow.

We noticed that Detifoss, the largest cataract in Europe, is just 24 km to the north. We keep the breath of reaching it.

But, a board

The way to Detifoss

Signpost for the largest waterfall in Europe, almost completely buried by snow.

at the entrance to the turnoff, he informs that there is no winter snow clearing service and that the secondary road may be impassable.

It only takes a few minutes for us to struggle with invincible layers of snow. We surrender to the evidence. We return to Ring Road.

An inescapable passage through the Jokullsarlon Lagoon

We skirted several of the deep fjords that cut the east coast, including the one that shelters Seydisfjordur. In those parts, more rain than snow irrigates countless wedding veils that flow from the top of green cliffs.

This profusion intensifies with the proximity of the eastern end of the Vatnajökkull glacier, eternal source of life on the island of fire and ice.

We explore it from the Jokullsarlon lagoon, from where its most adventurous icebergs set sail for the Atlantic. Then we travel to Skaftafell.

Loose ice, Jökursarlón lagoon, Iceland

Freshly released ice patches from the Vatnajökull glacier in the Jökursarlón lagoon.

It rains a lot. A notice in the makeshift car park indicates that the continuation of the road is restricted to employees of the national park. Thus, we surrender to the slippery trail and the downpour for almost 2km.

When we reached the confluence with the actual end of the paved road, we realized that we were the only semi-soaked visitors to respect the indication.

The Geological Artwork of Svartifoss

To compensate, the next river target is imminent. We approached and noticed, on a more dignified scale, its polygonal eccentricity. Unlike previous waterfalls, the Svartifoss flow proves to be insignificant.

Svartifoss stream

Svartifoss's tiny flow drops past what remains of a vast bed of snow and ice that has remained in the past few months.

As happened in other rare parts of the world, the solidification of the lava took place there under improbable conditions. It generated arched walls, composed of strange hexagonal columns and in permanent danger of collapse.

It rains again. First, just pitchers. Then, to pitchers, also in the form of a sharp hail. We retreated.

Svartifoss Standard

Svartifoss, a waterfall that falls over a cliff made of hexagonal columns carved by the rapid solidification of lava.

We pass countless agricultural farms alternating with the alluvial vastness left by successive melting glaciers to the north. It's sunny, it's snowing, it's raining, it's snowing again and it's sunny.

The breathtaking scenery also follows as we pass. Even so, we find it difficult to respect the 90 km/h limit of the endless Ring Road.

Skogafoss, an Admirable Waterfall from the Base and the Top

We are on our way to Skogafoss when, hidden on a low curb, the first police car we see outside of Reykjavik pulls us over. "Good afternoon. Where are they from?” asks the blond agent as he goes through the documents. "Portugal? Things aren't exactly going well there, are they? “ continues with elegant sarcasm.

“Over here, the worst is past, but they know that the fines have not even gone down with our crisis. They are guys! Go away but look, it's just this once. You may have noticed that Iceland has things that are much more worth spending money on.”

We are moving away from authority at a theatrical speed. For a while, we managed to stay in line.

seljalandsfoss

Visitors approach the base of one of Iceland's most accessible waterfalls, just a short distance from the roadside and the sea.

A little later, we catch a glimpse of Skogafoss wedged between recessed cliffs. We follow the margin of the rocky course from which it originates and, accompanied on the other side by a fence by a maddened horse, we reach its shadowy base.

We sat down. We admire the 60 meter jump overflown by black swifts. When that thalassotherapy seems to be enough, we head for a steep goat trail.

We conquered a viewpoint erected over the last throes of the Skógá River, on a clear plain border between the southern coast fringe and the interior highlands.

Seljalandfoss's Slim Dancing Neighbor

Seljalandfoss is not far away. We find its meandering drop of 60 m on a cliff perpendicular to the road. We start by looking at it from a side platform.

Seljalandsfoss Escape

A visitor tries to take shelter from the heavy irrigation caused by a sudden change in the wind, near Seljalandsfoss

It doesn't take long to install new weather. The wind, the water from the cataract and the mixture of snow and rain combine to create a vortex that lashes us mercilessly.

We left the observation post. We take shelter in the only covered place, behind its vertical flow, inside the concave base of the cliff.

As quickly as they are gone, the sun and clear skies return. We went back to the car, wanting to regain our body heat. We do it facing Seljalandfoss, which the permanently oscillating northern light tinged with different hues.

Until, an unexpected visual interference surprises us. Halfway between the car and the cliff, an extraterrestrial-looking green creature performs stunts, photographed by a fellow Earthman.

ET acrobat

A native student dressed as an alien in front of the Seljalandfoss waterfall

At one point, half of the visitors pay more attention to it than to the waterfall.

Being green shows little concern. And intrigued. Since the car he returns to after the session ends is right next to ours, we can't resist questioning it. "It's yours? Not!!" answer us with good disposition. “I'm from here. Icelandic and all."

This monkey business is due to a project at my university in which I had the bad idea to get involved. It's called the Green Channel. Then we'll process the images with TV software. But I have to make these figures in more places symbol of Iceland. Have you seen my luck well?"

Before returning to Reykjavik, we would still pass by other waterfalls. The most emblematic of these finals, Gullfoss, impressed us for its layered configuration, not so much for the volume of the flow of the Hvitá river.

The Gulfoss Moat

A geological depression invaded by the voluminous flow of the Hvitá river;, at certain times after rain or melting, much more impressive than in the image.

Winter was at an end. Soon, the intensification of the melting would feed the endless Icelandic torrents with plenty of water.

Volcanoes

Mountains of Fire

More or less prominent ruptures in the earth's crust, volcanoes can prove to be as exuberant as they are capricious. Some of its eruptions are gentle, others prove annihilating.
Thingvellir National Park, Iceland

The Origins of the Remote Viking Democracy

The foundations of popular government that come to mind are the Hellenic ones. But what is believed to have been the world's first parliament was inaugurated in the middle of the XNUMXth century, in Iceland's icy interior.
Iceland

The Geothermal Coziness of the Ice Island

Most visitors value Iceland's volcanic scenery for its beauty. Icelanders also draw from them heat and energy crucial to the life they lead to the Arctic gates.
Jok​ülsárlón Lagoon, Iceland

The Chant and the Ice

Created by water from the Arctic Ocean and the melting of Europe's largest glacier, Jokülsárlón forms a frigid and imposing domain. Icelanders revere her and pay her surprising tributes.
Cascades and Waterfalls

Waterfalls of the World: Stunning Vertical Rivers

From the almost 1000 meters high of Angel's dancing jump to the fulminating power of Iguaçu or Victoria after torrential rains, cascades of all kinds fall over the Earth.
Husavik a Myvatn, Iceland

Endless Snow on the Island of Fire

When, in mid-May, Iceland already enjoys some sun warmth but the cold and snow persist, the inhabitants give in to an intriguing summer anxiety.
PN Canaima, Venezuela

Kerepakupai, Salto Angel: The River that Falls from Heaven

In 1937, Jimmy Angel landed a light aircraft on a plateau lost in the Venezuelan jungle. The American adventurer did not find gold but he conquered the baptism of the longest waterfall on the face of the Earth
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwee

Livingstone's Thundering Gift

The explorer was looking for a route to the Indian Ocean when natives led him to a jump of the Zambezi River. The falls he found were so majestic that he decided to name them in honor of his queen
Iguazu/Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

The Great Water Thunder

After a long tropical journey, the Iguaçu River gives a dip for diving. There, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, form the largest and most impressive waterfalls on the face of the Earth.
Seydisfjordur, Iceland

From the Art of Fishing to the Fishing of Art

When shipowners from Reykjavik bought the Seydisfjordur fishing fleet, the village had to adapt. Today, it captures Dieter Roth's art disciples and other bohemian and creative souls.
Jökursarlón Lagoon, Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland

The Faltering of Europe's King Glacier

Only in Greenland and Antarctica are glaciers comparable to Vatnajökull, the supreme glacier of the old continent. And yet, even this colossus that gives more meaning to the term ice land is surrendering to the relentless siege of global warming.
Rhinoceros, PN Kaziranga, Assam, India
Safari
PN Kaziranga, India

The Indian Monoceros Stronghold

Situated in the state of Assam, south of the great Brahmaputra river, PN Kaziranga occupies a vast area of ​​alluvial swamp. Two-thirds of the rhinocerus unicornis around the world, there are around 100 tigers, 1200 elephants and many other animals. Pressured by human proximity and the inevitable poaching, this precious park has not been able to protect itself from the hyperbolic floods of the monsoons and from some controversies.
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 5th - Ngawal a BragaNepal

Towards the Nepalese Braga

We spent another morning of glorious weather discovering Ngawal. There is a short journey towards Manang, the main town on the way to the zenith of the Annapurna circuit. We stayed for Braga (Braka). The hamlet would soon prove to be one of its most unforgettable places.
shadow vs light
Architecture & Design
Kyoto, Japan

The Kyoto Temple Reborn from the Ashes

The Golden Pavilion has been spared destruction several times throughout history, including that of US-dropped bombs, but it did not withstand the mental disturbance of Hayashi Yoken. When we admired him, he looked like never before.
lagoons and fumaroles, volcanoes, PN tongariro, new zealand
Adventure
Tongariro, New Zealand

The Volcanoes of All Discords

In the late XNUMXth century, an indigenous chief ceded the PN Tongariro volcanoes to the British crown. Today, a significant part of the Maori people claim their mountains of fire from European settlers.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Pueblos del Sur, Venezuela

The Pueblos del Sur Locainas, Their Dances and Co.

From the beginning of the XNUMXth century, with Hispanic settlers and, more recently, with Portuguese emigrants, customs and traditions well known in the Iberian Peninsula and, in particular, in northern Portugal, were consolidated in the Pueblos del Sur.
St. Augustine, City of Florida, USA, the Bridge of Lions
Cities
Saint Augustine, Florida, USA

Back to the Beginnings of Hispanic Florida

The dissemination of tourist attractions of questionable taste becomes superficial if we take into account the historical depth in question. This is the longest inhabited city in the contiguous US. Ever since Spanish explorers founded it in 1565, St. Augustine resists almost anything.
Beverage Machines, Japan
Meal
Japan

The Beverage Machines Empire

There are more than 5 million ultra-tech light boxes spread across the country and many more exuberant cans and bottles of appealing drinks. The Japanese have long since stopped resisting them.
Culture
Shows

The World on Stage

All over the world, each nation, region or town and even neighborhood has its own culture. When traveling, nothing is more rewarding than admiring, live and in loco, which makes them unique.
Bungee jumping, Queenstown, New Zealand
Sport
Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown, the Queen of Extreme Sports

In the century. XVIII, the Kiwi government proclaimed a mining village on the South Island "fit for a queen".Today's extreme scenery and activities reinforce the majestic status of ever-challenging Queenstown.
Las Cuevas, Mendoza, across the Andes, Argentina
Traveling
Mendoza, Argentina

From One Side to the Other of the Andes

Departing from Mendoza city, the N7 route gets lost in vineyards, rises to the foot of Mount Aconcagua and crosses the Andes to Chile. Few cross-border stretches reveal the magnificence of this forced ascent
on this side of the Atlantic
Ethnic

Island of Goreia, Senegal

A Slave Island of Slavery

Were several millions or just thousands of slaves passing through Goreia on their way to the Americas? Whatever the truth, this small Senegalese island will never be freed from the yoke of its symbolism.”

View of Fa Island, Tonga, Last Polynesian Monarchy
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Exotic Signs of Life

Cobá, trip to the Mayan Ruins, Pac Chen, Mayans of now
History
Cobá to Pac Chen, Mexico

From the Ruins to the Mayan Homes

On the Yucatan Peninsula, the history of the second largest indigenous Mexican people is intertwined with their daily lives and merges with modernity. In Cobá, we went from the top of one of its ancient pyramids to the heart of a village of our times.
Flock of Brown Pelicans eyeing food
Islands
Islamorada, Florida Keys, United States

The Floridian Village Made of Islands

The Spanish discoverers named it Purple Island, but the predominant tones are those of countless coral reefs in a shallow sea. Confined to her five Keys, Islamorada remains peaceful, in an alternative halfway between Miami and Key West, the Florida cities that the prodigious Overseas Highway has long connected.
Era Susi towed by dog, Oulanka, Finland
Winter White
PN Oulanka, Finland

A Slightly Lonesome Wolf

Jukka “Era-Susi” Nordman has created one of the largest packs of sled dogs in the world. He became one of Finland's most iconic characters but remains faithful to his nickname: Wilderness Wolf.
On the Crime and Punishment trail, St. Petersburg, Russia, Vladimirskaya
Literature
Saint Petersburg, Russia

On the Trail of "Crime and Punishment"

In St. Petersburg, we cannot resist investigating the inspiration for the base characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky's most famous novel: his own pities and the miseries of certain fellow citizens.
Walvis Bay, Namibia, bay, dunes
Nature
Walvis Bay, Namíbia

The Outstanding Shoreline of Walvis Bay

From Namibia's largest coastal city to the edge of the Namib Desert of Sandwich Harbour, there is an unrivaled domain of ocean, dunes, fog and wildlife. Since 1790, the fruitful Walvis Bay has been its gateway.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Amboseli National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Normatior Hill
Natural Parks
Amboseli National Park, Kenya

A Gift from the Kilimanjaro

The first European to venture into these Masai haunts was stunned by what he found. And even today, large herds of elephants and other herbivores roam the pastures irrigated by the snow of Africa's biggest mountain.
Lights of Ogimachi, Shirakawa-go, Ogimachi, Japan, Village of Houses in Gassho
UNESCO World Heritage
Ogimashi, Japan

A Village Faithful to the A

Ogimashi reveals a fascinating heritage of Japanese adaptability. Located in one of the most snowy places on Earth, this village has perfected houses with real anti-collapse structures.
View from the top of Mount Vaea and the tomb, Vailima village, Robert Louis Stevenson, Upolu, Samoa
Characters
Upolu, Samoa

Stevenson's Treasure Island

At age 30, the Scottish writer began looking for a place to save him from his cursed body. In Upolu and the Samoans, he found a welcoming refuge to which he gave his heart and soul.
Cable car connecting Puerto Plata to the top of PN Isabel de Torres
Beaches
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

The Dominican Home Silver

Puerto Plata resulted from the abandonment of La Isabela, the second attempt at a Hispanic colony in the Americas. Almost half a millennium after Columbus's landing, it inaugurated the nation's inexorable tourist phenomenon. In a lightning passage through the province, we see how the sea, the mountains, the people and the Caribbean sun keep it shining.
Sanahin Cable Car, Armenia
Religion
Alaverdi, Armenia

A Cable Car Called Ensejo

The top of the Debed River Gorge hides the Armenian monasteries of Sanahin and Haghpat and terraced Soviet apartment blocks. Its bottom houses the copper mine and smelter that sustains the city. Connecting these two worlds is a providential suspended cabin in which the people of Alaverdi count on traveling in the company of God.
Chepe Express, Chihuahua Al Pacifico Railway
On Rails
Creel to Los Mochis, Mexico

The Barrancas del Cobre & the CHEPE Iron Horse

The Sierra Madre Occidental's relief turned the dream into a construction nightmare that lasted six decades. In 1961, at last, the prodigious Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad was opened. Its 643km cross some of the most dramatic scenery in Mexico.
full cabin
Society
Saariselka, Finland

The Delightful Arctic Heat

It is said that the Finns created SMS so they don't have to talk. The imagination of cold Nordics is lost in the mist of their beloved saunas, real physical and social therapy sessions.
Casario, uptown, Fianarantsoa, ​​Madagascar
Daily life
Fianarantsoa, Madagascar

The Malagasy City of Good Education

Fianarantsoa was founded in 1831 by Ranavalona Iª, a queen of the then predominant Merina ethnic group. Ranavalona Iª was seen by European contemporaries as isolationist, tyrant and cruel. The monarch's reputation aside, when we enter it, its old southern capital remains as the academic, intellectual and religious center of Madagascar.
Bather rescue in Boucan Canot, Reunion Island
Wildlife
Reunion Island

The Bathing Melodrama of Reunion

Not all tropical coastlines are pleasurable and refreshing retreats. Beaten by violent surf, undermined by treacherous currents and, worse, the scene of the most frequent shark attacks on the face of the Earth, that of the Reunion Island he fails to grant his bathers the peace and delight they crave from him.
The Sounds, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Fiordland, New Zealand

The Fjords of the Antipodes

A geological quirk made the Fiordland region the rawest and most imposing in New Zealand. Year after year, many thousands of visitors worship the sub-domain slashed between Te Anau and Milford Sound.