I’ve been to Snæfellsnes a few times. I’ve definitely done two tour trips there (a summer one and a winter one) and I’ve definitely driven round it myself at least once before but this summer I came across a little gem I’ve never noticed before.
Bjarnarfoss is a waterfall. There are thousands of waterfalls in Iceland but there’s something pretty about this one. It’s on the 54, right before the junction with the 574 that circles Snæfellsjökull and goes down to Arnarstapi and Hellar – and when I say right before, I mean all of about 300 yards. It’s on the right as you’re heading towards Snæfellsjökull – obviously, because on the left is meadows sloping very gently down to the sea – and there’s a short drive up to the concrete slab that serves as parking for half a dozen vehicles.
You can follow a gravel path up towards the waterfall but after that, if you want to get at the actual falling water, you have to scramble up the side of the mountain. In Iceland, I’m always disinclined to do that because of damage and erosion and lack of regeneration but you can get a very good view of it from the path and you could dip your feet in the churning stream tumbling down if you really have to.
