Hike Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge, Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Meaning "red-cloaked rift," Rauðfeldsgjá is a deep, high, and narrow gorge set on the western edge of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. A 3-hour drive from Reykjavik will get you to the area near Botnsfjall Mountain and the tiny hamlet of Arnarstapi. When you arrive, you can leave your car in the parking lot by the road. A short 5- to 10-minute walk will take you to the entrance of the gorge.

The scenery from outside the gorge is worth the drive, but you can also clamber inside and discover a small waterfall in the summertime. Rauðfeldsgjá Gorge is mentioned in the 14th-century saga, Bárðar Saga Snæfellsáss, and many enjoy the folklore behind the stories. According to the legend, the giant Bárðar became the guardian spirit of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. He used the gorge to punish those he believed killed his daughter, trapped on an iceberg that floated to Greenland.

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