Dettifoss

Nestled in one of the most unspoiled parts of Iceland, Dettifoss is worth visiting just to witness the force of the water tumbling down the 44-meter (145-foot) drop!

You’ll find Dettifoss in northeast Iceland, not too far from the Lake Mývatn area. The waterfall itself is fed by the Vatnajökull glacier. At its closest point, the glacier is 110 kilometers (68 miles) away as the crow flies.

Just north of Dettifoss is another handful of waterfalls: Hafragilsfoss, Réttarfoss, Urriðafossar, and Hólmárfossar. You can get to these from the east bank of the river, via road 864.

You can get to the west side of Dettifoss via road 862, a paved road that’s open year-round. It connects to the Ring Road (Route 1) in the south.

The east side of Dettifoss is reachable by road 864, which is a seasonal gravel road. Road conditions mean that this route is often closed in wintertime.

Both routes are just over 1½ hour’s drive east from the town of Akureyri in North Iceland.

The west bank of Dettifoss is more accessible, being on a tarmac road that’s open all year. On this side of the river there are also more parking spaces, a viewing platform, and plenty of walking trails.

Meanwhile, you can reach the east side of the river by driving on a gravel road. This means it’s best to visit in summer, and in a larger vehicle like a 4x4. That said, it’s easier to access the extra waterfalls further upstream from this side.

Dettifoss is often labeled as the second most powerful waterfall in Europe. It has a water flow of 193 cubic meters (6,800 cubic feet) per second.

When this is multiplied by the 44-meter (145-foot) fall distance, you get a figure that describes how powerful Dettifoss is.