Thingvellir National Park is one of the most widely visited attractions on the Golden Circle sightseeing route in Iceland. The national park is also home to the world famous Silfra fissure that formed between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates in 1789 by the earthquakes.
Silfra is located where these two continents meet and drift apart about 2 cm per year. Silfra has been divided into four main sections named as Silfra Big Crack, Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral, and Silfra Lagoon. Silfra is the only place in the world where you can dive or snorkel directly in a crack between two tectonic plates.
Silfra Underwater Visibility
Water that enters the Silfra has been filtered through underground lava for 30-100 years and has become extremely pure with an underwater visibility of over 100 meters. Silfra water has year-round temperatures staying right above freezing, and it is one of the top ten sites in the world for snorkelers and scuba divers.
Award booking flights to Iceland
Iceland Air has a partnership with Alaska Mileage Club and miles can be used to book flights to KEF airport. It is typically not worth it to waste Alaska miles on these short flights.
Thingvellir National Park Distance from Reykjavik
South Iceland Award Accommodations
Hotel Ranga is the only Hyatt points option to book in the Hella region of Iceland. Hyatt’s partnership with SLH properties is dissolving sometime in 2024 and I am hoping they will honor their prior bookings (I have an upcoming reservation at Hotel Ranga in August 2024).
Thingvellir National Park Distance from Hotel Ranga
Silfra Fissure Scenery
Summary
Iceland is filled with incredible natural attractions (link) (link) and it should be the first overseas destination for any nature lover. The Silfra fissure inside the Thingvellir National Park is just 1 hour drive from either Reykjavik or Hella and the trip will be memorable.