Foss a Sidu
(Foss á Síðu)
Foss á Síðu is a waterfall in the South of Iceland and belongs to the most beautiful and most famous waterfalls in Iceland. Fossá Síðu is located 14 kilometer east of Kirkjubæjarklaustur when driving in the direction of Skaftafell (Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla), Iceland.
When driving on ring road 1 you can’t miss this photogenic waterfall. Already in the far distance you see a white stripe of water falling down over the cliffs.
There is no official parking but there are enough spot to park your car for a short while so you can take your pictures.
The river Fossá drops down over a basalt cliff and ends 30 meters lower before it continues its way to the Atlantic ocean. It also has a very unusual feature: because the flow in the river is not very strong it can happen (with strong winds coming from the sea) that the water is flowing uphill.
Fossá Síðu (name of the old farm in front of the fall) is fed by a small lake called Þórutjörn. A passable hiking trail leads to Þórutjörn and from there the view of Síða is amazing.
Maybe it not the biggest waterfall in Iceland, but certainly one of great beauty. The small vertical, the shape and the foreground with its green colors makes Foss á Síðu one of the finest waterfalls to photograph. That is why I give such a high rating to the waterfall.
The farm of Foss á Síðu has been inhabited since the 9th century. Already in the 9th century Foss á Síðu was mentioned in the book of settlement, a written work which describes settlements in Iceland.
According to an ancient story a ghost wanders around Foss á Síðu. The ghost is a dog named Móri carrying a curse to a certain family from which the man had a wicked way of living. The family was cursed for nine generations. Some say Móri has disappeared but there are people that believe that Móri is still wandering around the farm and waterfall.
Opposite the falls is the outcrop Dverghamrar (‘Dwarf Rocks’), which contains classic basalt columns and is thought to be the dwelling place of some of Iceland’s ‘hidden people’.
Nearby there are some other awesome waterfalls located in the south of Iceland: Systrafoss in Kirkjubæjarklaustur or more east the famous basalt rock waterfall Svartifoss in Skaftafell national park.