Matkaopas: Silta mannerten välillä

The Bridge Between the Continents is a bridge on the Reykjanes Peninsula that connects the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

Explore the affected areas while on a self drive tour in Iceland.

Photo above from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by josef knecht. No edits made.

The Mid Atlantic Rift in Iceland

The Bridge Between the Continents exists because the mid-Atlantic rift runs through Iceland. This rift separates the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, meaning west Iceland, much of the north and much of the Highlands is North American land, and the rest is on Eurasia.

This tectonic fault line runs along the length of the Reykjanes Peninsula, through the Highlands, and out of the north of the country through the Askja and Krafla volcanic systems near Mývatn.

The best place to see these tectonic plates is in Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Golden Circle. Going through this park means descending the cliffs marking the edge of one plate to enter, and ascending over the other to leave. The valley in between is a no-man’s-land between the two.

Here, you will see that these two plates are several kilometres apart. The Bridge Between the Continent does not cover this span, but is more symbolic; it sits in the rift and runs in the direction between the plates, but is not literally a path between the two.

Even so, it is an excellent place to learn about the geology of Iceland; there are many informative signs, and Reykjanes Peninsula is lined with volcanos and coated in lava rock, showing the effect this rift has on the country’s geography.

Getting to the Bridge Between the Continents

Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Giuseppe Milo. No edits made. 

The Bridge Between the Continents is on the very end of the Reykjanes Peninsula. It can be reached by travelling south on Route 40 out of Reykjavík, following the road onto Route 41, before turning onto Route 44. This road will become Route 425, where the bridge is situated.

A visit here can easily be combined with visits to other highlights of the Reykjanes Peninsula, namely the Gunnuhver and Krysuvík Geothermal Areas, Lake Kleifarvatn and the Blue Lagoon.