The aurora borealis is a mesmerizing and often elusive sight. Solar activity in the upper atmosphere creates chemical reactions that brighten the night sky with green arcs and purple curtains that ebb and flow as they dance across the heavens. No two shows are the same: don’t think for one minute that once you’ve ticked the Northern Lights off your bucket list you’ll be done with it. It’s the kind of phenomenon that keeps pushing its way to the front of your vacation memory bank and watching it is an activity that’s hard to resist no matter how many times you’ve seen it before.
What to expect when viewing the Northern Lights at Urriðafoss
Urriðafoss is just the kind of place that’s ideal for viewing the Northern Lights. Firstly, it’s quickly reached from the ring road – meaning there’s no need to stress about long stretches of bumpy, potholed gravel. Secondly there’s a parking lot, so there’s somewhere safe to leave your rental car and you won’t waste half the evening driving up and down looking for somewhere you can pull off the road.
Urriðafoss waterfall boasts a viewing platform that is fenced off from the falls; while the waterfall remains fully visible, the fence is handy if you’ve forgotten a tripod and need to rest your camera to keep it steady whilst taking some photos. The sight of this broad, voluminous waterfall is also appealing and will provide that all-important foreground interest.
Other places to see the Northern Lights near Urriðafoss
From Gamla Þjórsárbrú bridge
This redundant bridge makes an interesting choice, especially if you are a movie fan. The Gamla Þjórsárbrú is a single span steel truss bridge that was taken out of service when a new bridge was constructed downstream to carry Route 1. It featured in the film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, giving it the nickname Walter Mitty Bridge among visitors. As with any stationary, built structure, the strong lines make for excellent foreground interest that will delight aurora photographers. As it’s only a five minute drive from Urriðafoss, on some nights where the display lasts long enough you’d be able to view the Northern Lights at both places.
Overlooking other waterfalls such as Ægissíðufoss or Skógafoss
Viewing the Northern Lights near water opens up the potential for reflections which is always an enticing prospect. It’s not surprising, therefore, that many aurora hunters will set their sights on a waterfall, lake or beach in the hope of achieving such a view. Ægissíðufoss is barely any distance at all from Urriðafoss and can be reached by car in about 25 minutes. However, like Urriðafoss it’s not very high, so arguably you don’t gain anything unless you’re staying nearby. For this reason you might consider traveling a little further east and viewing the Northern Lights over Skógafoss. As this is an impressive landform in terms of both height and width, it would be a striking destination under the aurora’s dancing curtains.
From the banks of the Rangá River
The Rangá River might also suit aurora hunters. Broad and surrounded by level terrain, you’re likely to have an unobstructed view of the Northern Lights if you position yourself beside it. Depending on your trip budget, you might consider a stay at the upscale Hotel Rangá, which is 25 minutes away – easily close enough to pop over to Urriðafoss when the whim strikes. This well-run hotel offers wake up calls for guests keen to nap while they wait for the aurora to show up. The hotel also boasts its own observatory equipped with two telescopes. On clear nights, an astronomer will roll back the roof and remain on hand to explain the visible constellations and discuss galaxies, distant planets and of course the Northern Lights under a starry sky.
Inland along the Golden Circle route
While Urriðafoss lies outside the area associated with the Golden Circle, reaching it takes barely any time at all when you’re excitedly anticipating the phenomenon to come. This 140 mile scenic loop is a firm favorite with travelers by day, who flock here to check out the narrow Almannagjá Gorge in Þingvellir National Park, the Geysir Geothermal Area and mighty Gullfoss waterfall. At night, the lack of light pollution in this sparsely populated area makes it a good spot to seek out the Northern Lights if there’s no cloud, with multiple north-facing locations suitable for achieving an unobstructed view of the night sky and the glorious colors of the aurora.
Along the coast at Stokkseyri
A half hour drive from Urriðafoss gets you to Stokkseyri, a small village on Iceland’s south coast. It is best known for a langoustine restaurant called Fjöruborðið which has been on the radar of visiting foodies for a while. After dinner, why not take a stroll? The relatively small built up area makes this a possible contender for viewing the Northern Lights as there’s almost no light pollution to contend with. In fact, the village now plays host to the Northern Lights Fantastic Film Festival, an annual event which celebrates short films of any genre. If the aurora puts on a show too, that’s considered a bonus.
Wherever you choose to site your Northern Lights hunt in South Iceland, whether that’s at Urriðafoss or somewhere nearby, so long as the solar activity is sufficient and the skies are clear it will be an evening you won’t forget in a hurry. When those ethereal display gets underway it’s sure to be one of the most memorable nights of your life.
