“This quiet canyon went viral after Justin Bieber filmed a music video in it, and the flood of imitators damaged the moss so badly it had to be closed to recover.”
About Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
The canyon was carved over roughly two million years as a glacial river cut down through soft rock. For most of its existence it was a local curiosity. After the 2015 Bieber video, visitor numbers surged, the moss suffered, and managers introduced closures and railed paths to protect it from the very fame the video created.
Fjadrargljufur is a serpentine canyon on Iceland's south coast, around two kilometres long and up to a hundred metres deep, with mossy walls that twist and fold around a small river. A path along the rim looks down into the green chasm, and it is one of the most striking short stops between Vik and the glaciers further east.
Fjadrargljufur is a serpentine canyon on Iceland's south coast, around two kilometres long and up to a hundred metres deep, with mossy walls that twist and fold around a small river.
The Bieber Effect
The canyon was quiet until Justin Bieber filmed part of a 2015 music video here, scrambling over the moss and through the river. The clip drew so many imitators that foot traffic exploded, the fragile vegetation began to wear away, and the authorities were forced to close the site for periods to let it recover and to build proper viewing paths. It is one of the clearest cases of a single video reshaping a natural site.
The Experience
Following the rim trail and look down into the green, mossy gorge as it snakes below you, the river threading through far beneath your feet. The viewpoints are railed now, partly to keep people off the delicate slopes. On a misty morning the whole canyon feels otherworldly, which is exactly why it photographs so well.
Why It Matters
Fjadrargljufur is a textbook example of how social media can overwhelm a small natural site, and how a country responds. The closures and managed paths here became part of a wider conversation in Iceland about protecting fragile landscapes from their own popularity.
Fjadrargljufur is a textbook example of how social media can overwhelm a small natural site, and how a country responds.
Why Visit
It is a quick, rewarding stop with one of the south coast's most photogenic short walks. View it from the rim trail, stay off the moss, and you can take it in within half an hour.
✦ Insider Tips
- 1
Stick to the marked rim path; the moss slopes are fragile and have been closed before for damage.
- 2
Go early or late to avoid the midday tour traffic on this small site.
- 3
Check for seasonal closures, especially after rain or in winter, before driving the side road.
- 4
Combine it with the nearby Skaftafell area further east on the same day.
