The road from Egilsstaðir to Seyðisfjörður drops nearly 700 metres in 27 kilometres, and on the descent it passes alongside the Fjarðará river as it tumbles down the same steep gradient in a series of waterfalls. The combination of road and waterfall is one of the great approach sequences in Iceland — the first sight of the fjord below, framed by cliff walls and the white thread of water, makes an impression that stays with you.
Several of the falls can be approached on foot from the road. There is informal parking at a few pull-offs, and short walks of five to twenty minutes reach viewpoints above the most dramatic drops. In spring and after heavy rain the volume is extraordinary; in summer the flow is lower but the surrounding meadows and the view of the distant harbour are at their best. The waterfalls are also clearly visible from the town below — look back up the valley in the evening light.