Beljandi is a beautiful waterfall in the Breiðdalsá river located in the Breiðdalur valley near the Brekkuborg farm. Located in the eastern region of Iceland, the waterfall is a short loop away when driving along the Ring Road or the East Fjords. On another note, it is definitely worth visiting, especially if you also head to the similarly stunning nearby waterfall named Flögufoss.
One of the many characteristics of the Beljandi waterfall is that, contrary to many other Icelandic waterfalls, Beljandi is lower than most stunning waterfalls and unusually wide at the same time; in fact, it measures only about two to three meters in height, but it is quite wide. Its beauty comes from its direct spring-fed water source that keeps the stream clean and refreshing. Contrary to high-volume glacial rivers that are usually dirty and contaminated with sand, small rocks, and deposits, this waterfall is a beautiful sight to watch as it glimmers with the clean water flowing over and between basalt rocks and vegetation. Furthermore, another characteristic is the sheer volume of water flowing from it; additionally, it is distinguished by the fact that the waterfall is located on a lowland in the middle of the valley, as compared to many other spectacular waterfalls in Iceland that flow down the slope of a mountain or cliffs. Moreover, when you stand by the waterfall, you can revel in the great surrounding of the valley of Breiðdalur, including the spectacular mountains forming a beautiful background for any photo you might take. The waterfall is quite photogenic, which serves well for selfies and professional photoshoots with a tripod and various configurations. In my experience, this is one of the more interesting waterfalls for filters and long exposure photos—in particular, we recommend the parking lot on the south side for such photos.
Easily accessible from the main road and the Ring Road
The Beljandi waterfall is easily accessible from the Ring Road in Iceland. If you are traveling from the south coming from the village named Breiðdalsvík, turn on road 1 to road 966 in Breiðdalur by the church and Heydalir farm. This is a road where you can drive slowly and look for and take advantage of many excellent photo opportunities. Drive past the turn to road 964 and then past the road to the Fagridalur farm. Although not marked with a sign, you can find a small sign that says Efri Beljandi, which is the name of a place dedicated to salmon and trout fishing by the waterfall. The drive on road 966 from the main road to the sign is about 10 to 15 minutes. Here you must be very careful and quiet as the river is a salmon fishing river, and there might be fishermen whom you don't want to disturb.
A beautiful quiet place by the banks of the Breiðdalsá river
There is a nice parking lot by the waterfall. The whole surrounding is stunning with its beautiful countryside and the spectacular mountains all around. The waterfall is especially appealing to photographers as there are actually two waterfalls, and it poses quite a challenge to capture them both. For this purpose, just walk around but not too close to the bank to find a good spot for your tripod. Due to the low nature of this waterfall, it is a nice experiment to lower the camera and have the folding river as a foreground.
If you're planning to tour Iceland in a rental car, make sure to read this article about the three important things you need to know and the type of car that would be best for your trip!
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