Bjarnafoss

(Bjarnarfoss)

Bjarnafoss or Bjarnarfoss is a really nice waterfall on Snæfellsnes peninsula in the west of Iceland. From the 566 meter high Mælifell mountain the river Bjarnaá drops down over 80 meters in the Dritvíkurgrunn and ends in the sea. Bjarna means bear.

Bjarnafoss falls down from a basalt cliff created by the neighbouring volcano Mælifell and lies in the middle of the Búðahraun lava fields. At some parts of the fall you still can see the basalt columns.

Bjarnafoss can be found on the south side of Snæfellsnes, along road 54 (Snæfellsnesvegur) near the hamlet Búðir (or former name  Hraunhöfn), just before Fróðárheiði. From Búðir you will have a wonderful view on this amazing waterfall.

There is also a nice story about he Bjarnafoss:
Under the waterfall stands “Fjallkonan” (Lady of the Mountain), a national personification of Iceland, the spray from the waterfall falling on her shoulders and bosom. The Lady of the Mountain symbolises what Icelanders consider to be genuine and purely Icelandic, and she represents the national vision, the nation’s ultimate dream.

A legend says that Bjarnafoss Waterfall derives its name from a wealthy farmer called Bjarni who once lived in the area. Bjarni owned a large number of livestock and allowed other farmers to graze their animals on his land. One cold winter day, a vagrant sought shelter at Bjarni’s farm, but Bjarni refused to let him in. The vagrant vowed that Bjarni would regret this decision. The next summer, Bjarni found all of his livestock dead, but the animals of the other farmers were unharmed. This was just the first misfortune to strike Bjarni, who finally lost his mind and threw all his money into the waterfall.
Info from Tipcreator

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About Bjarnafoss

CountryIceland
RegionVesturland
LocationBúðir, Snæfellsnesi (Snæfellsnes)
RiverBjarnaá
Height80m
Latitude64.847509
Longitude-23.405127
Best visitSummer
Rating

Most nearby waterfalls

WaterfallDistance (linear)Rating
Rjomafoss 7 km
Kirkjufellsfoss 13 km
Kvernafoss (Grundarfjordur) 20 km
Grundarfoss 21 km
Bæjarfoss (Ólafsvík) 35 km