Visiting the Golden Circle, Iceland

Today we had another great day, with the temperature hovering around close to 10 degrees most of the day, except when we had a bit of wind and then the thermometer at times dropped considerably. After picking up our car in the city, a Kia Sportage 4WD, we headed towards the Golden Circle, which includes Iceland’s 3 most visited attractions. Our first stop was at the Thingvellir National Park. It was in this site that around 930 AD the parliament named Alpingi was set up. This National Park also encompasses Iceland’s largest lake and significant flora and fauna can also be found in this area. The North American and European tectonic plates are also situated here. These plates are separating at a rate of 2.5 cm each year, forming a rift valley. Following lunch, which we had at the Thingvellir visitors centre we headed north east to the Geysir. Geysir literally means “gusher” in Icelandic, and this natural phenomenon in the Haukadalur geothermal region has been active for more than 10,000 years. These are hot water pools, with a water spout which shoots boiling water up into the air on a regular basis. I have included some video in today’s post. Another significant natural beauty in this region of Iceland are the waterfalls. We saw many today and the most impressive was one of the largest in Iceland, Gullfoss, meaning “golden waterfall,” which is a massive waterfall on the river Hvita in western Iceland. The falls are considered one of Iceland’s most treasured natural wonders, with a name inspired by the phenomenon when glacial sediment in the water turns the falls golden in the sunlight. We had dinner at a local cafe on the way to our accommodation tonight. A few minutes away from our hostel there is another impressive waterfall. Plunging from a height of around 60 meters, Seljalandsfoss forms a dramatic arch of water that dominates the picturesque Thórsmörk valley. A footpath runs all the way around the waterfall, allowing visitors to stand within feet of the rushing water, amid the spray at the foot of the Eyjafjoll mountains. We arrived at our hostel to be greeted by our host, Lucia a young Italian woman who offered us latte and homemade cake – all on the house. We could also have had dinner here. Great place inside and to top it all off there is also another large waterfall behind the hostel. Another great day exploring the wonders of Iceland.