Glymur, Waterfall in Botnsdalur Valley, Iceland.
Glymur is a waterfall in Botnsdalur Valley that drops around 190 meters along the Botnsá River through a narrow canyon. The water falls in powerful streams that are visible from several viewpoints along the hiking route.
This waterfall held the title of Iceland's highest for many decades before the discovery of Morsárfoss near Vatnajökull glacier in 2011. That finding shifted the ranking of the country's tallest cascades.
The trail to this waterfall passes through a cave and uses traditional rope-assisted river crossings that reflect how Icelanders navigate this landscape. Visitors experience the same route methods that have been used by locals for generations.
The hiking route is around 7.4 kilometers long and takes about 4 hours total, with summer months from June to September offering the safest conditions. During these warmer months, the paths dry out and river levels are lower, making crossings more manageable.
The southern hiking path brings you close to the cascades where you can watch water plunge down moss-covered rock faces in the canyon. This route reveals the raw power of the waterfall from a few meters away.
Location: Iceland
Height: 190 m
Part of: Botnsá river
GPS coordinates: 64.39081,-21.25146
Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:42
Waterfalls have a way of drawing people in. The sound of falling water, the mist that rises from the base, the way light catches the spray. Some of the most striking examples sit in places that remain relatively quiet, where the journey itself becomes part of the experience. These destinations reward travelers who make the effort, offering moments of solitude that are increasingly rare around natural landmarks. This collection includes places like the limestone terraces of Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, where a chain of interconnected pools spills from one to the next through forest shade. Or the red sandstone walls of Coyote Gulch in Utah, where water carved out hidden alcoves and pools over countless seasons. In India, Nohkalikai Falls drops from a forested plateau into a green pool far below. China's Huangguoshu Waterfall has a cave tucked behind the curtain of water itself. At the Vietnam-China border, Ban Gioc-Detian spreads wide across the landscape, while Angel Falls in Venezuela tumbles nearly a thousand meters from a flat topped mountain. Norway's Geirangerfjord hosts the Seven Sisters, a cluster of parallel streams that flow straight into the fjord. Iceland's Dettifoss sends an immense volume of glacial water over black volcanic rock. South Africa's Tugela Falls descends in stages from the dramatic cliff face of the Drakensberg range. And in the Philippines, Kawasan Falls creates a series of turquoise pools beneath a canopy of tropical growth. Each place has its own character, shaped by the rock, the climate, and the surrounding terrain.
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