Tag: waterfall

The Golden Circle

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The best part of visiting Iceland during the summer?

IT NEVER GETS DARK!

A seemingly endless summer, with endless days, the ample daylight makes it easy to make the most your of your visit when touring the countryside.

After our all-night flight into Reykjavik, all I wanted to do was get a little sleep before heading out.  Discovering that there were many tours that depart in the late afternoon was the perfect compromise.  Sleep…then tour!

A few years ago, along with my colleagues, I had rented a car and driven the Golden Circle, a popular tourist route in southern Iceland.  Not having charged my camera before leaving, I was forced to limit my picture taking at each of the stops along the way…Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterall and the geothermal area in Haukadalur which contains the geysirs Geysir and Strokkur.  I had to go back!

Leaving the hotel at four o’clock, we headed out to cover 300 kilometers of beauty, with our first stop at Þingvellir National Park, located 40 kilometers northeast of Reykjavik.

Þingvellir National Park is a protected national shrine held in high esteem by Icelanders as it was the site where the national parliament of Iceland, Althing, was established in 930 AD and sessions held until 1798.  In 1930, on the one thousandth anniversary of Althing, the national park was established to protect the area.  It was also designated as a World Heritage Site in 2004.

Very popular with tourists, most stop here for the hiking trails, scuba diving and snorkeling in the Silfra fissures and to see the boundary between the North American and Eurasion tectonic plates. Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland, also lies nearby to the south.

A visitor’s center is located on the premises which gives an interpretation of the history and nature of the national park.  If you are near the campground, there is also an information center which will provide further information.

After taking a brisk walk and admiring the natural landscape and wildflowers, it was time to board the bus and ready ourselves for the next stop…Haukadalur geothermal area.

Ever wonder where the word geyser comes from?  Iceland, of course.  Geysir is an Icelandic word meaning “to gush”.

Haukadalur geothermal area is a valley of hot springs and boiling mud pots that has attracted visitors since the 18th century.  Seeking mineral baths and therapeutic mud, they also enjoyed watching the geysers erupt.  The largest of the two geysers in Haukadalur is appropriately named, Geysir.  Though it has been quiet lately, erupting only sporadically, it’s largest eruption was in 2000 with a height of over 400 feet, the highest known geyser blast of all time.

The smaller of the two, Strokkur, is more reliable in providing a show.  Strokkur erupts about every 10 to 15 minutes, 24 hours a day.  There are other, smaller geysers throughout the area as well as mineral springs and mud pots worth the walk around the premises.  Since Geysir was quiet during my visit, my attention, however, was always drawn back to Strokkur, with its timely blasts.

If you are traveling on your own through this region and would like to check out the geysers, the area is considered public property and always open for viewing.  A hotel has opened up across the highway and a campground is nearby.  The Geyser Center is adjacent to the hotel with many exhibits and information as well as a restaurant and a souvenir shop.

After an hour, our time watching the amazing Strokkur was up.  It was time to make our last stop, Gullfoss waterfall, only a few kilometers away.

Located in the canyon of the Hvitá river, the beautiful Gullfoss is known as the “Golden Falls” as on sunlit days, the water takes on a golden-brown color and the mists surrounding the falls are filled with dozens of rainbows.  Though I had witnessed this spectacle before, it was not to be on my second visit due to the overcast skies and light drizzle.

Even without the rainbows, the mighty Gullfoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, takes your breath away.  Flowing down a three-step “staircase” it plunges in two stages (36 feet and then 69 feet) into a crevice, 105 feet deep, which is not visible at close range, making it appear as though the river vanishes into the earth.

Walking down the path adjacent to the falls, I made my way to the rocky area at the head.  Though very slippery, it is from here that you can realize the power of this natural marvel as well as get some amazing photographs.  Keep some clean cloths handy to keep your camera lens dry and yes, expect to get a bit wet!

After your soaking at the falls, try the restaurant located in the parking area for some warm beverages!

We were soon motoring on toward Reykjavik and the end of our day.  The nice thing is…it was still daylight and it didn’t appear to be the end of our day!

Had I not been so tired and hungry, I would have taken a walk around town!

Gotta love summer in Iceland!

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The Golden Circle