It’s almost impossible to visit Iceland without experiencing the popular Golden Circle. This route takes in the country’s three most popular tourist destinations; Gullfoss, Geysir and Pingvellir. We spent our second full day on the island completing this near-compulsory tourist pilgrimage. Despite the hype, each sight genuinely delivered on expectations.
Gullfoss, Iceland’s most famous waterfall, was our first stop. This fall plunges over an awe inspiring double cascade before disappearing into a narrow ravine. The surrounding landscape was coated in a smooth white blanket of snow, while the fall’s rocky outcrops and opposing shore were layered in the remains of frozen spray and mist. I braved the icy conditions to make my way out to the edge of the falls where the sun, deafening sound and snow made for a truly memorable moment.
From here it was on to Geysir, a compact thermal zone of bubbling mud and hot water spouts. Geysers worldwide actually take their name from this location. Garry and I were captivated by Stokkur, an impressive geyser that explosively erupted once every ten minutes, sending scalding fountain of water 30 metres into the air. Surprisingly, the entire geothermal area was accessible free of charge.
Our last stop of the day was perhaps the most dramatic of all. Pingvellir is an immerse rift valley where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are slowly drifting apart. The landscape is littered with fractured, rocky fissures; created as the land literally tears itself apart. The largest of these fissures is Almanagja. For almost a kilometre this narrow rock alley slices its way through the plain. Here stark, vertical rock walls soar more than 50 metres overhead bearing silent witness to the jaw-dropping power of relentless tectonic motion.
The scene was made all the more dramatic during our visit by a blanket of snow. This soft white cover made the surrounding dark lava cliffs all that more dramatic. Even better, we had the entire scene largely to ourselves. The image of our walking track zig-zagging through the snow, between ever narrowing rock walls will remain with me for the rest of my life.
One final sight completed our classic tourist day. As darkness fell, Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights came out. We were presented with a dazzling display than can only be described as a shimmering curtain of green light dancing across the sky from horizon to horizon. This proved to be the last clear night we had in Iceland and thus were lucky to see the aurora in action.
Click here to read about our magical ice cave experience.
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