Offbeat Traveler: Gullfoss in Iceland
The two-tiered waterfall drops about 105 feet into the Hvita River in south Iceland. On average, water flows through Gullfoss at a rate of about 29,000 gallons per second. Heavy flooding has produced as much as 530,000 gallons per second. For comparison, American and Bridal Veil Falls at Niagara Falls flow at an average rate of about 76,000 gallons per second.
Visitors approaching Gullfoss, whose name translates as “Golden Falls” in English, might think it empties into an abyss given its unusual drop. The glacier-fed falls, about 70 miles east of Reykjavik, plunge abruptly into a wide and narrow canyon at a perpendicular angle, creating a striking scene.
-- Jason La
