Seljalandsfoss: Iceland's Waterfall Everyone Walks Behind

There's a reason Seljalandsfoss shows up in nearly every Iceland itinerary, and it isn't just the 60-meter drop. It's the path: a narrow, often slippery loop that lets you walk in a full circle around the falls, including the stretch directly behind the curtain of water.

The walk behind the water

Standing behind Seljalandsfoss changes the whole experience. From the front it's a waterfall. From behind, with the afternoon sun coming through the spray, it's closer to standing inside weather — the roar is different, the light is different, and the ground underfoot is genuinely unstable in places.

Pack for wet, not just cold

The single most common mistake here isn't underestimating the temperature — it's underestimating the spray radius. Bring a real rain shell, not a fashion jacket, and expect your camera lens to need wiping every thirty seconds if you're shooting from the ledge.

Go at golden hour if you can

Seljalandsfoss faces roughly southwest, which means late-day light comes through the water instead of bouncing off it — the difference between a flat photo and one where the whole falls seems lit from inside.