Highlights: The Golden Circle is a 300 km route to the 3 most popular natural attractions in Iceland. The Golden Circle consists of Geysir, Gullfoss and Thingvellir.
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Geysir area
Geysir is a geyser that gives its name to hot springs all over the world. But although Geysir itself is not active anymore the area features spectacular hot springs such as the powerful Strokkur (spouting a vast amount of water every 10 minutes, regularly about 15-20 meters into the air), Smidur and Litli-Strokkur.
Gullfoss waterfall
The 'Golden Waterfall', is the second part of the Golden Circle, and one of the most beautiful and powerful waterfalls in Iceland, plummeting 32 meters into the river gorge of the popular rafting river Hvita. It is Iocated about 10 km from Geysir.
Thingvellir national park
The largest attraction of the Golden Circle is Thingvellir National Park. The Icelandic parliament was founded there in 930 and remained until the year 1798.
Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important places to visit in Iceland, not just for its historical and cultural values, but for also its magnificent landscape.
Thingvellir is surrounded by a beautiful mountain and volcano range and is the site of a rift valley, where the tectonic plates meet, marking the crest of the Mid-Atlantic ridge.
Of particular note at Thingvellir are the magnificent Almannagja gorge, and the beautiful lake Thingvallavatn, the largest lake in Iceland. The popular Gjabakkahellir lava cave is also in the area.
The fissure Silfra is located by Thingvallavatn, Iceland's largest lake, and is famous for its clear waters and popular for diving and snorkeling, as you can literally swim between continents.
Geysir is a dormant hot spring in the geothermal area, Haukadalur Valley, found in South Iceland. Making up just one of the attractions along the world famous Golden Circle sightseeing route, alongside Þingvellir National Park and the mighty Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir is most well-known for having lent its name to geysers around the world.
Geography
Though Geysir itself is rarely active these days, Haukadalur Valley boasts a plethora of hot springs, including the powerful Strokkur, Smiður and Litli-Strokkur. Strokkur is, arguably, the country’s most famous hot spring, shooting vast jets of boiling water from twenty metres (65 ft) up to forty metres (130 ft) high. Don’t worry about missing this incredible spectacle of nature as Strokkur erupts every five to ten minutes, just make sure to have your camera ready.
Geysir is much larger, but years can go by between eruptions at Geysir. When it does erupt, the water can shoot up in the air as high as 70 metres (230 ft)!
Just five minutes walk north of Geysir a wealth of fumaroles emanating steam and gas into the cool Icelandic air can be found. Aside from watching the hypnotic pillars of steam, you will also be able to observe the yellow sulphuric stains along the fumaroles themselves, a result of the steam crystallising around the rock bed.
At the southern part of the valley, Þykkuhverir, you‘ll find various bubbling mud pots. These spooky brown cauldrons are actually fumaroles that boil up through the loose ground; after a dry spell, these mud pools are likely to transform into a hardened fumarole.
Nearby Attractions
About 2 km from Geysir is a preserved natural pool called Kúalaug. It has room for 3-5 people at a time, but care should be taken, as the area around the pool is very delicate. The temperature is 39-43°C, depending on where you are positioned in the pool. The water is slightly muddy, as the pool is built on soil, and the bottom is slippery due to algae, so caution is advised when relaxing here.
Haukadalur has also seen a rise in re-forestation in recent times thanks to continued experiments and research in the area. Today, Haukadalsskógur is one of the largest forests in South Iceland, boasting accessible walking paths (also for wheelchair users), fascinating vegetation and The Tree Museum, built in the memory of forester Gunnar Freysteinsson.
History
Haukadalur has been a church site since ancient times and has been inhabited since the Age of Settlement. Given its historic value, it should be noted that scholar, Ari “The Wise“ Thorgilsson, grew up there; it was also where the first pastoral school in Iceland was built. The current wooden church was last rebuilt in 1938 but its architectural style dates back to 1842, making it one of the oldest of its kind in Iceland.
For accommodation, Hotel Gullfoss is approximately 7 km from the Geysir area, and closer still is Hotel Geysir on the other side of the road from the attraction, where you will also find a restaurant, café and a souvenir shop.
Gullfoss (translated to ‘Golden Falls’) is one of Iceland’s most iconic and beloved waterfalls, found on the Hvítá river canyon in south Iceland. The water in Hvítá river travels from the glacier Langjökull, finally cascading 32m down Gullfoss’ two stages in a dramatic display of nature’s raw power.
Because of the waterfall’s two stages, Gullfoss should actually be thought of as two separate waterfalls. The first, shorter stage of the waterfall is 11m, whilst the second stage is 21m. The canyon walls on both sides of the waterfall reach heights of up to 70m, descending into the 2.5km long Gullfossgjúfur canyon (geologists indicate that this canyon was formed by glacial outbursts at the beginning of the last age.)
In the summer, approximately 140 cubic metres of water surges down the waterfall every second, whilst in winter that number drops to around 109 cubic metres. With such energy, visitor’s should not be surprised to find themselves drenched by the waterfall’s mighty spray-off.
Gullfoss makes up a part of the highly popular Golden Circle tour, alongside Geysir geothermal area and Þingvellir National Park.
History
In the early days of the last century, Gullfoss was at the centre of much controversy regarding foreign investors and their desire to profit off Iceland’s nature. In the year 1907, an English businessman known only as Howells sought to utilise the waterfall’s energy and harboured ambitions to use its energy to fuel a hydroelectric plant.
At the time, Gullfoss was owned by a farmer named Tómas Tómasson. Tómas declined Howell’s offer to purchase the land, stating famously “I will not sell my friend!” He would, however, go on to lease Howells the land, inadvertently beginning the first chapter of Icelandic environmentalism.
It was Tómas’ daughter, Sigríður Tómasdóttir, who would lead the charge. Having grown up on her father’s sheep farm, she sought to get the lease contract nullified, hurriedly saving her own money to hire a lawyer. The ensuing legal battle was an uphill struggle; the case continued for years, forcing Sigríður to travel many times by foot to Reykjavík if only to keep the trial moving. Circumstances became so difficult that Sigríður threatened to throw herself into the waterfall if any construction began.
Thankfully, in 1929, the waterfall fell back into the hands of the Icelandic people. Today, Sigríður is recognised for her perseverance in protecting Gullfoss and is often hailed as Iceland’s first environmentalist. Her contribution is forever marked in stone; a plaque detailing her plight sits at the top of Gullfoss.
Restaurant / Cafe
Besides Gullfoss, visitors can enjoy the views from Gullfoss Cafe, a locally run delicatessen that serves a wide variety of refreshments and meals. The menu has options to tantalise everyone’s taste buds; hot soups, sandwiches, salads and cakes. There is also a shop on site where visitors’ can browse and purchase traditional Icelandic souvenirs.
Þingvellir National Park is Iceland’s only UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the major stops on the world famous Golden Circle sightseeing tour, alongside Haukadalur Geothermal Valley (Geysir) and Gullfoss Waterfall. Just to the south, as well as a part of the park is Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest natural lake.
Geography
The first thing that visitors to the National Park notice is its sheer aesthetic beauty; dried magma fields, covered in Icelandic moss, sit carved by glacial springs and surrounded by a bowl of ancient mountain peaks.
Two of the greatest attractions in the park are the exposed North American and Eurasian tectonic plates; it is one of the only regions in the world where you can see geology such as this on land. Visitors are encouraged to walk along the North American tectonic plate, where they can read more about the area’s fascinating formation and history.
History
Þingvellir can be anglicised to “Fields of Parliament”, a nod to the area’s fascinating history and relevance to Icelandic culture. It is here, after all, that the world’s first democratically elected parliament that remains functioning, the Althing, was formed in 930 AD.
This saw the birth of the Old Icelandic Commonwealth, a time of independence and freedom for the Icelandic people before they became constituents of the Norwegian monarchy. Sessions would continue to be held at Þingvellir until 1798.
Another major reason as to why Þingvellir is considered so important to Icelanders is the fact that this is where the decision was made to abandon the belief of Paganism and the Norse Gods, instead adopting Christianity in 1000 AD. This turning point in history was left to the pagan lawspeaker, Thorgeir Thorkelsson, who rested on the choice for one day and one night before reappearing to share his decision.
Silfra Fissure
Þingvellir is one of the most widely visited attractions in Iceland, in large part due to the fact that it is home to the glacial spring, Silfra Fissure, one of the top 10 sites in the world for snorkellers and scuba divers.
Silfra (meaning “Silver”) is a submerged ravine within the park, boasting visibility of up to 100 metres and a temperature just above freezing. Participants in these tours will be attired at the Silfra carpark in neoprene hoodies and gloves, as well as an undersuit and drysuit for thermal protection.
Strokkur (Icelandic for "churn") is one of the most famous hot springs in Iceland and belongs to the famous Golden Circle.
Strokkur is a fountain geyser in the Geysir geothermal area in the southwest part of the country, east of Reykjavik, near Hvítá river.
Strokkur is a powerful hot spring and an impressive sight. It erupts about every 4–8 minutes and spouts water to a height of 15 – 20 m, sometimes up to 40 m.
Silfra is a fissure filled with fresh springwater within Þingvellir National Park, and one of the country’s most cherished wonders. Snorkelling and diving in its crystal-clear waters is an experience that is both thrilling and relaxing, and it is now considered to be one of the top five dive sites in the world. It takes around an hour to reach Silfra from Reykjavík.
Geography of Silfra
Silfra fissure opened in 1789, due to the movements of the tectonic plates that frame Þingvellir National Park. The North American and Eurasian plates, which run all the way through Iceland, separate at about 2 centimetres per year, and when they do, tear open fissures in the land between them.
The ravines fill with water travelling underground through the porous lava fields in the area, originating from Langjökull glacier about 60 kilometres north. It can take the water up to a century to reach Silfra and this long filtration process results in the water being both extremely clear and drinkable.
Because the water travels underground, it maintains a constant temperature of two to three degrees Celsius and does not freeze over immediately at the source of the spring. Snorkelling and diving tours are thus open throughout the year.
The clarity of the water is what draws most visitors. The visibility can extend to over 100 metres, allowing you to see the canyon walls and bottom like you are floating over a great cathedral.
The last colour that water absorbs is blue, which means that when you look forward in Silfra, it is as if you are looking into an ethereal, vivid, azure world. The clarity also means that sun-rays refract through the surface of the water, creating rainbows on Silfra’s bed when the weather allows.
Snorkelling in Silfra
Snorkelling in Silfra fissure is a highly enjoyable activity, but you must meet some prerequisites to be able to join. These are as follows:
- You must be able to swim
- You must be over 16
- You must be in good physical health
- You must be at least 145 centimetres and 45 kilograms
- If you are over sixty, you will need a medical waiver
- If you are over forty-five with a history of heavy alcohol use and pipe smoking, you will also need a waiver
The most common option for snorkelling is to conduct it in a drysuit like is done on this tour. Drysuits work with a fluffy undersuit to keep your body free from water and insulated against the cold, making the task of swimming through the near-freezing temperature more than achievable.
While drysuit snorkelling is the most comfortable and popular option, a few tours allow you to go through Silfra wearing a wetsuit. Wetsuits, made of neoprene, allow water to surround your body in a thin layer, that your body then heats up and uses to protect you. Though they grant you more flexibility, they are not so warm, so this should be done by the daring; you will also need to be at least 50 kilograms to snorkel in a wetsuit.
In all tours, you wear neoprene on your head and hands to allow for better mobility, a mask and snorkel, and a pair of fins, all of which are provided on site. The course of Silfra takes approximately forty minutes, and there is a gentle current throughout, meaning it requires minimal energy to traverse.
Diving in Silfra
Diving through Silfra gives an extra dimension to its beauty, as you will be able to look up and see the sun glistening upon the surface as you cruise through the crystal clear waters. However, considering the risks associated with diving in cold water and cumbersome equipment, all who partake must meet all the requirements above, as well as one of the following:
- You must be a qualified diver with a certification in a drysuit speciality, OR
- You must be a qualified diver with at least 10 logged dives in a drysuit conducted over the past two years, signed by an instructor or divemaster.
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