The small island in the North Atlantic is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Its approximately 375,000 inhabitants enjoy the special and almost eerie scenery that surrounds them but also endure the difficulties caused by both the long distance from other continental countries and the effects of the special geomorphology of the place, which includes an active volcano.
Iceland is just outside the Arctic Circle but the temperatures you will encounter throughout the year are not extreme: from -2 to 5 degrees Celsius in winter and up to 10 or 14 degrees Celsius in spring and summer. As it is quite high in the northern hemisphere, the length of day and night also varies greatly. In December, the day lasts about 4 hours, while in June Iceland enjoys 21 hours of sunshine.
The center of the island is mainly occupied by mountains, sandy areas and lava deposits and most of the settlements are located on the perimeter, near the coasts. The capital, Reykjavík, is located on the southwest side of the island and is where most of Iceland’s famous “Golden Circle” starts.
It is a 300 km route that passes, among others, three of Iceland’s most popular natural attractions: Thingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss waterfall.
The National Park is considered the first stop of the “Golden Circle” and is only 50 kilometers from Reykjavík. It is a place where dramatic geology meets a millennium of fascinating history. The park’s unique geology is due to its location between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which create the rift valley that runs through Iceland.
Iceland is the only country where this valley, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, can be seen above sea level. Nowhere is this more visible than in Thingvellir National Park. When you enter the park from Reykjavík, you will drive towards a sheer cliff that is actually a corner of the North American continent. The Eurasian continent is several kilometers away, on the other side of the park, and is just as dramatic.
The next stop on the “Golden Circle” is the geothermal area, “Geysir”, about 60 kilometers from the National Park “Thingvellir”. Here you will see the steam rising from miles away. Many hot pools are scattered in the area, while the minerals strongly color the hills and the ground. It would be quite a fascinating site even without the two geysers that make it famous. The first is the one that gave all the others their name: the Great ‘Geysir’. Geysir rarely erupts, but its neighbor, Strokkur, erupts every ten minutes, shooting water 20 to 40 meters into the air. The third attraction is the waterfall “Gullfoss” which is only 10 kilometers from the geysers.
The popularity and uniqueness of “Gullfoss”, the Golden Waterfall, as its name implies, lies in its unusual, cascading shape and the fact that it is extremely photogenic from every angle and in every season. An average of 100,000 liters of glacial water from the Hvítá River falls 31 meters into Gullfossgljúfur gorge every second.
