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Destinations to Consider
History and nature
Þingvellir National park
As one of the most important places in Icelandic history. In the year 930 the Alþingi, one of the oldest parliamentary institutions of the world, was founded. As a national park (since 1928) because of the special tectonic and volcanic environment.
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Nature
Geysir Geothermal area
One of the greatest natural attractions of Iceland and part of the famous "Golden Circle Tour", The Great Geysir, or Stori-Geysir, has been dormant since 1916 when it suddenly ceased to spout. It came to life only once in 1935, and as quickly went back to sleep. The attraction of the area is now Strokkur (The Churn), another geyser 100 meters south of the Great Geysir, which erupts at regular intervals every 10 minutes or so and its white column of boiling water can reach as high as 30 meters.
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Nature
Gullfoss waterfall
Gullfoss is actually two separate waterfalls, the upper one has a drop of 11 metres and the lower one 21 metres. The rock of the river bed was formed during an interglacial period.
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Reynisfjara Black sand beach
On Reynisfjöru beach, very beautiful basalt formations in the south part of the mountain can be seen, and there you will find an exceedingly beautiful cave called Hálsanefshellir.
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Vestrahorn Mountain
One of the first settlement farms in Iceland was Horn, built by Hrollaugur son of Rögnvaldur. The Hornafjörður Municipality and other sites are named it. Horn means the same thing in Icelandic and English. At Stokksnes you can feel the power of the Atlantic Ocean as the waves hit the rocky shore with massive force.
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Vatnajökull National park
The south side of Vatnajökull is characterised by many high, majestic mountain ridges, with outlet glaciers descending between them onto the lowlands. The southernmost part of the glacier envelops the central volcano Öræfajökull and Iceland's highest peak, Hvannadalshnúkur.
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Skógafoss Waterfall
The greatest attraction of Skógar is of course the beautiful 60-metre high Skogáfoss waterfall in the river Skógá. If the sun conditions are favourable - one can see a vivid rainbow in front of the waterfalls.
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Urriðafoss Waterfall
Urriðafoss is a waterfall in Þjórsá River. Þjórsá is Iceland’s longest river, 230 km, and Urriðafoss is the most voluminous waterfall in the country. This mighty river drops down (360 m3/sec) by the edge of Þjórsárhraun lava field in beautiful and serene surroundings. Þjórsárhraun lava field is the result of the greatest lava flow on earth since the Ice Age. Located right off highway 1.
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Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
Fjaðrárgljúfur is a magnificent and massive canyon, about 100 meters deep and about two kilometres long. The canyon has sheer walls, and is somewhat serpentine and narrow. The bedrock in Fjaðrárgljúfur is mostly palagonite from cold periods of the Ice Age and is thought to be about two million years old. The river Fjaðrá has its source in the mountain Geirlandshraun and falls off the heath edge in this stunning canyon until it makes it down into Skaftá river.
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Landmannalaugar Nature reserve
Landmannalaugar derives its name from a hot pool that rises from under the Laugahraun lava field. Landmannalaugar has been a stopping point for people for centuries, and the mountain shepherds on Landmannaafréttur have stayed there while herding sheep off the mountain for as long as there have been reports of such travel.
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Dyrhólaey Nature reserve
Dyrhólaey is a 120-metre high promontory, not far from Vík. The place got its name from the massive arch that the sea has eroded from the headland. (The name literally means "door-hole"). When the sea is calm, big boats can sail through it. There has even been a maniacal daredevil pilot that flew through the arch with a small-craft airplane! From the top of Dyrhólaey there is a great view.
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Seljalandsfoss Watarfall
A unique waterfall in the river Seljalandsá, about 30 km west from Skógar. It is 60 meters high with a footpath behind it at the bottom of the cliff, but with a thin cascade. It is the only known waterfall of its kind, where it is possible to walk behind it. The waterfall is very picturesque and therefore its photo can be found in many books and calendars.
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Katla UNESCO Global Geopark
Katla Geopark includes geological features of global significance. Over 150 volcanic eruptions have been recorded in the area since the 9th century. The eruptions created the landscape and influenced where people settled. Through the centuries, man and nature have affected the region’s history. The area is constantly changing due to volcanic activity.
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Jökulsárlón Glacier lagoon
Jökulsárlón is a glacial lagoon which still blue waters are a sight not to be missed, as it is dotted with the icebergs from the edge of Breiðamerkurjökull. The lagoon flows through a narrow gateway into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving the spectacular sight of the large chunks of ice on the black sandy beach.
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Events
The Towns
ÁRNES
Árnes is a small village with inhabitants of ca 50. In Árnes, there is a small convenience store, a swimming pool, a campsite, and a guesthouse.
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ÁSAHREPPUR
Ásahreppur is a community on the western edge of Rangárvallasýsla and takes its name from “the ásar”, natural ridges in the area. On the Ring Road th
BORG
There is a growing community in Borg in Grímsnes, where there is a wide range of services for locals and tourists, including schools, kindergartens, s
BRAUTARHOLT
A small village. Swimming pool, shop, community center and camp site.
EYRARBAKKI
Eyrarbakki, pop. 585 is a friendly village that used to be the largest commercial community and main harbor on the South Coast of Iceland. Many preser
FLÓAHREPPUR
Flóahreppur is a peaceful municipality situated in South Iceland, between the two large Salmon Rivers Hvítá and Þjórsá. Flóahreppur is famous for its
FLÚÐIR
Flúðir is a rapidly growing community in the center of the Hrunamannahreppur district, about 25 minutes off the main Ring Road. The area is considered
HELLA
Inhabitants in Rangárþing ytra (Westen Rangárþing) are 1526 (the year 2016). The borders of the district are by Ásahreppur district, from the river Þj
HVERAGERÐI
Hveragerði has long been a famous destination for tourists with many hotels and restaurants. Both summer and winter, Icelanders and foreigners alike h
HVOLSVÖLLUR
Hvolsvöllur – Rangárþing eystra, with a population of about 2000, is a vast district in central South Iceland and ranges from the highlands to the sea
HÖFN
Hornafjörður is a blooming community close to the biggest glacier in Europe, Vatnajökull in the south eastern part of Iceland. The district’s most den
KIRKJUBÆJARKLAUSTUR
SkaftárhreppurSkaftárhreppur district is the center of the south of Iceland and the perfect location to stay while taking day tours to see many of Ice
LAUGARÁS
The development of the small village Laugarás started when geothermal activity was discovered in the area. There are numerous horticultural farms in t
LAUGARVATN
Laugarvatn is a shallow lake, about 2 km2 in size, and is located in the inlands of Árnessýsla, midway between Þingvellir, Gullfoss and Geysir, 100 km
REYKHOLT
The development of the small village Reykholt started in the first half of the 20th century, when geothermal activity was discovered in the area. Ther
SELFOSS
Selfoss, pop. 8.832 is the largest town in South Iceland and the main center of trade and industry. The distance from the capital is 57 km, and variou
SKÓGAR
Skógar is a small village with about 25 inhabitants. Despite its small size, it has various accommodation and restaurant possibilities. Skógar used to
SÓLHEIMAR ECO-VILLAGE
Sólheimar is considered the oldest Eco-Village in the world. Sólheimar was established as a children's home 80 years ago. Still, today Sólheimar focus
STOKKSEYRI
STOKKSEYRIStokkseyri, pop. 559 is a charming village renowned for its beautiful seashore, breaking ocean waves and birdlife, and rich in handicrafts a
VÍK
Mýrdalshreppur is one of the three municipalities within Katla Geopark, a UNESCO Global geopark. Vík in Mýrdalshreppur is situated in the center of th
ÞORLÁKSHÖFN
The main town in Ölfus is Þorlákshöfn, west of Eyrarbakki. The town is important as a port because the only viable harbour on Iceland's southern coast
ÞYKKVIBÆR
Residential area by Hólsá and south of Safamýri. Before, Þykkvibær was flooded in every way. People had to wade up to the waist or deeper to get betwe
ÖLFUS
Ölfus municipality is located on the southwest coast of Iceland, approx. 50 km from Reykjavík capital. The population is slightly over 2000 inhabitant
Travel Blog
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