Iceland
Múlagljúfur Canyon
A secret canyon where dragon-back ridges hide twin waterfalls and emerald peaks.
The canyon opens without warning — one moment you're walking across a featureless glacial plain, the next you're staring down into a moss-draped gorge where twin waterfalls drop into pools of jade. Múlagljúfur Canyon in southeast Iceland is a place that was virtually unknown until drone cameras revealed what lay beneath the rim.
Múlagljúfur is a 2-kilometre canyon carved into palagonite rock by glacial meltwater from Öræfajökull, Iceland's largest active volcano. The canyon walls are layered in thick moss and punctuated by two significant waterfalls — their spray feeding the emerald growth that lines every surface. The dragon-back ridges along the rim are formed from hyaloclastite, a type of volcanic glass created when lava erupts under glacial ice. Until recently, the canyon was largely unvisited; its discovery by drone photographers in the mid-2010s brought it international attention but visitor numbers remain modest. From the rim, views extend across to the tongues of Vatnajökull glacier. The hike to the viewpoints is moderate — roughly 3 kilometres each way across open moorland.
Solo
The surprise of the canyon appearing from nowhere, the moss-draped silence inside, and the glacier views from the rim — Múlagljúfur is a hidden world that rewards solitary exploration.
Friends
A relatively easy group hike to a canyon that looks like it belongs in a fantasy film. The wow factor is immediate and universally felt.
- A hidden canyon that remained largely unknown until drone photography revealed its scale.
- Twin waterfalls cascade into moss-covered ravines beneath glacial peaks.
- The hike is moderate — accessible to fit walkers without technical climbing skills.
- Views across to Vatnajökull glacier tongues from the canyon rim.
Smoked trout on flatbread sandwiches enjoyed overlooking the glacial tongue.
Dense chocolate energy bars made with Icelandic sea salt and berries.
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