Nykurhylsfoss (Sveinsstekksfoss)
Nykurhylsfoss (Sveinsstekksfoss) is a waterfall in East Iceland, Iceland — about 566 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
Sveinstekksfoss is a modest waterfall along the stream Fossá just northeast of the town of Djúpivogur. The waterfall is located in the Eastern Region of Iceland.
Nykurhylsfoss (Sveinsstekksfoss) is one waypoint of many — you can load the Iceland waterfalls GPS map before you leave signal.
Notes on this location
Compiled from published sources rather than a visit. Sources are listed below.
The lowest waterfall on the Fossá before it reaches the Atlantic, plunging 15 m into a narrow gully northwest of Djúpivogur. The pool beneath it, Nykurhylur, is 9 m deep and was said to hold a water horse.
- Three names
- Sveinsstekksfoss, Nykurhylsfoss, and Fossárfoss
- The drop
- The lowest fall on the Fossá — the river plunges 15 m into a narrow gully
- The pool
- Nykurhylur, 9 m deep, with water churning through pools and rapids
- The river
- The Fossá carries numerous waterfalls along its course before emptying into the Atlantic
- The nykur
- A magical water horse was said to live in the lowest pool; attempts to remove it failed until baptismal water was poured into the river after a child was baptised up the valley, and then it disappeared
- Where
- On Route 1, northwest of Djúpivogur
A 15 m drop into a narrow gully with a 9 m pool below means the water is doing most of its work out of sight — the subject is the gully and the churn rather than a clean fall face, which suits a slower shutter and a position on the rim. Being on Route 1 makes it one of the few east-coast locations that needs no detour at all.
Light & aurora at this spot
Calculated from this location’s coordinates (64.754, -14.482). Iceland stays on UTC year-round, so these are local times.
- Summer
- 21.6 h of daylight in June and the sun barely sets, dipping only 1.9° below the horizon — effectively continuous golden light through the small hours.
- Winter
- December: only 3.9 h of daylight (10:57–14:49), but the sun never climbs above 2° — 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
Nykurhylsfoss (Sveinsstekksfoss) is a waterfall in East Iceland, Iceland, approximately 566 km from Reykjavik. Exact GPS coordinates are included in the downloadable Waterfall map.
The recommended season for Nykurhylsfoss (Sveinsstekksfoss) 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 — Nykurhylsfoss (Sveinsstekksfoss) can be visited year-round, though winter conditions may require a 4x4 or storm-tolerant plans.