Húsafell and Hraunfossar: Where Nature and Stillness Meet

May 2025

Husafell Hraunfossar West Iceland - IVANVIETO

Húsafell and Hraunfossar, tucked into the heart of West Iceland, are places that simply welcome you in.

Here, the land feels softer, more sheltered. Lava fields are draped in birch woods; rivers run clear and cold from the glaciers above, and waterfalls spill from the earth in a way that feels almost like a secret.

Húsafell: A Hidden Corner of Calm

Húsafell has been a quiet gathering place for centuries, tucked between glaciers and lava fields.

Once a summer home for Icelandic farmers and artists, today it's a peaceful base for travelers looking to step gently into nature.

Húsafell isn't about spectacle.

It's about taking a slow walk through birch forests.

About dipping into warm pools under the vast sky.

About standing still and listening — to the river, the birds, the hum of life moving quietly through the landscape.

Husafell Birch Forest West Iceland - icer0ck

Húsafell Canyon Baths

If you're looking to truly unwind, there's no better place than the Húsafell Canyon Baths.

Tucked away in a secluded canyon, these geothermal pools blend so naturally into their surroundings that you almost expect to find them hidden like a secret from another time. With steaming mineral waters, views of untouched wilderness, and only the sound of the breeze and birds for company, soaking here feels like stepping into another world — a quieter, slower world where time moves to the rhythm of nature.

For those looking for more adventure, Húsafell is also the gateway to some of Iceland's great natural wonders: glacier tours on Langjökull, cave explorations in Iceland's lava fields, and hikes that wind through landscapes untouched by time.

But even if you do nothing more than sit and breathe the fresh mountain air, Húsafell feels like a kind of home.

Feeling adventurous?

But even if you do nothing more than sit and breathe the fresh mountain air, Húsafell feels like a kind of home.

Hraunfossar: Water From the Lava

Just a short drive from Húsafell, you'll find one of Iceland's most quietly beautiful sights: Hraunfossar.

At first, you might miss it.

Unlike Iceland's towering waterfalls, Hraunfossar doesn't crash down from cliffs or roar with thunder. Instead, hundreds of delicate streams flow straight out of the black lava, pouring into the turquoise waters of the Hvítá River below.

The water seeps through Hallmundarhraun, an ancient lava field formed by an eruption long ago, and emerges in countless rivulets along a stretch nearly a kilometer wide.

You can either walk the footpaths along the river or lean on the old wooden bridges and watch the water sparkle in the changing light.

A Little Further: Barnafoss

Husafell Barnafoss West Iceland - Imazins

Upstream from Hraunfossar is Barnafoss, a wilder, more dramatic waterfall shaped by water and legend.

According to old stories, two children once fell into the rushing waters here, and their grieving mother destroyed the natural stone arch that once spanned the falls. Whether you believe the tale or not, standing at the edge of Barnafoss, you can feel the river's restless energy—a sharp contrast to the calm elegance of Hraunfossar below.

A Day Made for Wandering

At Key to Iceland, we believe the best days aren't always packed with significant sights.

Sometimes, it's the quieter places that stay with you the longest.

A day spent around Húsafell and Hraunfossar is made for wandering through woods and lava fields along the banks of rivers that have been carving these lands for centuries.

It's a day for breathing a little deeper.

For listening a little more closely.

For remembering why you came to Iceland in the first place.