Fjaðrárgljúfur
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a landscape in South Coast, Iceland — about 255 km from Reykjavik and reached by a drive to the trailhead and a short walk in (footwear and weather check). Shoot it year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list, then use the GPS coordinates, parking notes, and nearby waypoints below to fold this stop into a longer photography route.
Overview
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a canyon in southeast Iceland. The Fjaðrá river flows through it.
As a photography stop, Fjaðrárgljúfur is a landscape in South Coast, roughly 255 km from Reykjavik, reached by a drive to the trailhead and a short walk in (footwear and weather check). Plan the shoot year-round, though winter wind, ice, and short daylight rework the shot list. The downloadable Landscape map pins exact GPS coordinates, parking, and nearby waypoints so you can fold it into a wider route instead of hunting for the pull-off on arrival.
Planning more than one stop? Open the Iceland landscape photo map to put Fjaðrárgljúfur on the same offline layer as everything nearby.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
A canyon up to 100 m deep and about 2 km long, cut into palagonite by glacial meltwater since the Ice Age. It has been closed to visitors before, specifically to let the ground recover.
- Size
- Up to 100 m deep, about 2 km long
- Rock
- Palagonite, eroded progressively by glacial meltwater
- Age
- Origins in the Ice Age, roughly two million years ago
- River
- The Fjaðrá runs through it
- Viewpoint
- A platform at the end of an approximately one-mile walk up the eastern rim, looking at a waterfall on the western side
- Closures
- Closed to visitors in May 2019 after a surge in numbers threatened the environment
The established view is from the eastern rim looking west, which puts the afternoon and evening sun behind the subject — a strong argument for shooting this one earlier in the day than the drive would suggest. The 2019 closure is also a reminder that access here has been withdrawn before and is worth checking rather than assuming.
SourcesFjaðrárgljúfur — Wikipedia
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (63.771, -18.172). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- June: sun up 02:51–23:36 (20.7 h). Evening golden hour 21:46–23:36, light coming from the NNW.
- Winter
- December: only 4.4 h of daylight (10:55–15:20), but the sun never climbs above 2.9° — the entire day is golden hour. Sunrise bears SSE, sunset SSW.
- Aurora
- Aurora-grade darkness Sep–Mar, peaking at 12.9 h a night in December. Not possible Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug — the sky never gets dark enough.
Bar height is daylight hours. Months marked • have enough astronomical darkness for aurora; the rest do not.
Questions & answers
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a landscape in South Coast, Iceland, approximately 255 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Landscape map.
The recommended season for Fjaðrárgljúfur is All. For light, plan around blue hour and the first hour after sunrise; Iceland's long shoulder-season twilight extends usable conditions on either side.
Drive/Hike access. Bring weather-appropriate footwear and check conditions before setting out. The downloadable GPS map puts the waypoint on your phone; your own app routes you to it from wherever you are.
Yes — Fjaðrárgljúfur can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.