Víðidalur Valley

Víðidalur is a long, sparsely inhabited valley in the northwest of Iceland, carved by the Víðidalsá — one of Iceland’s top-rated salmon rivers. The valley is quintessentially Icelandic: turf-roofed farmhouses, grazing sheep, mountains of bare basalt, and a pervading sense of quiet isolation that feels a world away from the tourist circuit.

The valley’s most dramatic natural feature is the Kolugljúfur canyon and its Kolufossar waterfalls, located partway along the valley. Beyond the canyon, the upper valley narrows and the landscape becomes increasingly raw and moorland-like, with good opportunities for birdwatching and trout fishing.

Víðidalur is accessed via Route 715 off the Hringvegur near Brú. The road is paved for most of its length and passable by normal car in summer. The valley is a quiet, rewarding detour for travellers moving between Snæfellsnes and the north, and sees a fraction of the traffic on the main tourist routes.