Thingvellir National Park

Þingvellir National Park is the perfect starting point for your -Golden Circle tour-, offering stunning scenery and rich history. Founded in 930, it’s home to the world’s first parliament, where Icelandic settlers met annually to shape laws. The parliament remained here until 1798, and in 2004, Þingvellir became a -UNESCO World Heritage Site-. Beyond history, Þingvellir sits on the -Mid-Atlantic Ridge-, where the Eurasian and North American plates drift apart. It’s the only place on Earth where this rift is visible above sea level. From the -Hákið viewing platform-, you’ll stand on the edge of the American continent. A short walk through the park leads to Öxarárfoss, a scenic waterfall with its own unique history.

Silfra

In Iceland, within the National Park of Þingvellir, you can swim in some of the clearest waters on Earth, with an astonishing underwater visibility of about 100 meters. The fissure separating the North American tectonic plate from the Hreppa plate (a tiny tectonic plate trapped between two massive continental ones) runs through Þingvellir. About a hundred kilometers away, water from the Langjökull glacier travels underground through a corridor of lava rock before emerging in the Silfra fissure. Since lava rock is one of nature’s best filters, the water remains crystal clear, making this experience truly breathtaking.