(Photo Via Tumblr)
Located in the far north, only a hair shy of the Arctic Circle, lies the beautiful island nation of Iceland. As the name implies, this Nordic country is by no means warm and vegetative; it’s not exactly where you’d go to get a tan. But if glistening glaciers and tumbling waterfalls are what you seek, a trip up North might be what you need.
Iceland’s interior is dominated mainly by a landmass appropriately called the Highlands of Iceland. Rising about 400-500 meters above sea level and spanning a distance of over 7,000 square miles, it is the largest uninhabited territory in Northern Europe. The majority of its surface can be described as a volcanic desert, as the land is barren and marked with ash. However, on its southern edge, the rock and ice suddenly ends and flowing off its ancient cliffs is a magnificent waterfall called Skogafoss. At 25 feet wide and falling over a drop of nearly 200 feet down, this waterfall is one of the biggest in the country and is, without a doubt, its most beautiful.
The Highlands’ cliffs once formed Iceland’s coastline but over time, the sea slowly receded from its rocky base. The ocean now lies over 3 miles away and in it’s wake, it left a breathing-taking landscape of lush lowlands. It is into this region that the waterfall tumbles, misting the soft grasses with its never ending spray. On sunny days, a rainbow can almost always been seen in front of its falls. Legend has it that the one of the earliest viking settlers buried a chest of gold beneath in a cave behind Skogafoss; the shimmering waters and fantastic rainbows certainly have more than a few people believing that this is more than just folklore.
Winning the lotto is such a borrowing way to get rich. Scubbing diving to find an ancient treasure chest of gold behind one of the most incredible waterfalls in the world? Now that’s much more interesting.
