DETTIFOSS

Dettifoss is a very powerful waterfall on the glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum nestled in Iceland's version of the Grand Canyon - Jökulsárgljúfur. With a flow of about 500 cubic meters per second at high flow, this 44m tall 100m wide monster is quite possibly Europe's most largest and most powerful waterfall. This milky-colored waterfall is fed by the meltwaters of the vast Vatnajökull glacier. Viewpoints are available on both sides of the falls.

Given the wild nature of the falls (it's unregulated and protected by being part of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park or þjóðgarður), its rate of erosion (and therefore its propensity to move further upstream) is very high. You definitely don't want to get too close to the edge and fall into the raging and frigidly cold river!

The east bank is the more touristy side though it too requires driving on a bumpy unsealed 2wd road (though the route 864 is not nearly as rough as 862; even tour bases take it). We noticed there's definitely more ways to view the falls from this side and is the more popular of the two. You can even see the bottom of the falls from this side as well as get precariously up to the brink of it.