Hraunfossar waterfalls
Hraunfossar waterfalls are a sight for sore eyes, winter and summer, rain or shine. Always beautiful and always changing the way they display themselves.
This natural phenomenon, where fresh water trickles down from underneath the lava field and falls into the river Hvítá, is a frequent stop on Crisscross tours. Although the winter has been very mild in Iceland so far, snow is now more or less covering the lava fields. The autumn palette of rich red and brown colours has changed to a more contrasting one of mostly black and white, making this beautiful place even more dramatic.
Hvítá river (White River) has a milky white colour. The reason for this colour is that the river comes from the glacier Eiríksjökull. Glacial rivers are greyish white and opaque. Hraunfossar are formed by water that sifts through the lavafields and then falls off the cliffs into the river. The sparkling clear water of Hraunfossar meets the white water of Hvítá creating moving patterns of swirls and lines.
117 kilometers after leaving Eiríksjökull, the river finally reaches the sea near Borgarnes, making it the 10th longest river in Iceland.
