Bruarfoss

Day one of our self-drive trip started with the Golden Circle. From Reykjavík, it's about a 1.5-hour drive to reach this otherwise-ordinary-looking blue hideaway — Brúarfoss. Navigate to "Brúarfoss Waterfall Official Parking," where a parking fee of roughly 750 ISK applies (about 4 hours' worth), payable through the Parka app or on-site. Heads-up: a lot of older travel guides still point to the old trailhead — that one's now closed, since it runs through private land. Make sure you're heading to the new official parking area instead. From the new parking lot in Hlauptunga, it's only a short, flat walk to the falls — easy enough for most people, and the whole loop out and back is well under 2 km. Photo tips The wooden footbridge: standing on the bridge that crosses the falls and shooting down is the best angle to capture that "blue crack" running through the rock. Long exposure: if you've got a tripod, slow your shutter speed down — the water turns silky, almost like flowing silk. What to wear: a yellow or red jacket really pops against that deep blue background — great for photos. Why is it so blue? Locals will tell you it comes down to glacial meltwater grinding down minerals as it flows — and that checks out. Brúarfoss is fed by meltwater off the Langjökull glacier, which carries extremely fine glacial silt ("rock flour") suspended in the water. That silt scatters sunlight in a way that produces the intense turquoise-blue color, especially striking as the river cuts between the dark volcanic basalt on either side — like a vein of flowing sapphire. It's earned the nickname "Iceland's Bluest Waterfall," and among the roughly half-dozen classic waterfalls I saw on this Iceland trip, it was my personal favorite — not the most dramatic or powerful one, but the one with a color unlike anything else. Practical notes Distance from Reykjavík: about 1.5 hours by car, right off the Golden Circle route Parking: new official paid lot in Hlauptunga (~750 ISK, pay via the Parka app or on-site); the old free trailhead/shortcut is closed — it crosses private land Walk to the falls: short and flat, a few hundred meters each way from the new parking lot Best time to shoot: soft morning light gives the most luminous blue; honestly it photographs beautifully whether it's sunny or raining Footwear: the path can be icy in winter (crampons/spikes recommended) or slippery/muddy after rain — wear proper grip either way Pair it with: Gullfoss and the Geysir geothermal area, both nearby on the same Golden Circle loop, so it's an easy add-on with no detour Among Iceland's many waterfalls, Brúarfoss isn't the most spectacular one on paper. But that one-of-a-kind blue is what stuck with me the most — turns out nature really does sneak in its own color palette every once in a while.