Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Krýsuvík & Seltún
The volatile
geothermal field Austurengjar
, about 2km south of Kleifarvatn, is often
called Krýsuvík after the nearby abandoned farm. Even by Icelandic standards, this area is
prone to geological tantrums. The temperature below the surface is 200°C and the water is
boiling as it emerges from the ground. A borehole was sunk here to provide energy for
Hafnarfjörður during the 1990s, but it exploded without warning in 1999 and the project
was abandoned.
At Seltún, boardwalks meander round a cluster of
hot springs
. The mud pots and
steaming sulfuric
solfataras
(volcanic vents) shimmer with rainbow colours from the min-
erals in the earth.
Nearby is the lake
Grænavatn
, an old explosion crater filled with interesting teal water
- caused by a combination of minerals and warmth-loving algae.
Krýsuvíkurberg Cliffs
About 3km south of Seltún across the Krýsuvíkurhraun lava fields, a dirt track leads down
to the coast at Krýsuvíkurberg (marked on the main road as Krýsuvíkurbjarg). These
sweeping black cliffs stretch for 4km and are packed with 57,000 seabird breeding pairs in
summer, from guillemots to occasional puffins. A walking path runs their length.
THE GOLDEN CIRCLE
The Golden Circle takes in three popular attractions all within 100km of the capital:
Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. It is an artificial tourist circuit (ie no valley, natural topo-
graphy, etc marks its extent) loved (and marketed) by thousands, and not to be confused
with the Ring Road, which wraps around the entire country (and takes a week or more to
properly complete). The Golden Circle offers the opportunity to see a meeting point of the
continental plates and site of the ancient Icelandic parliament (Þingvellir), a spouting hot
spring (Geysir) and a roaring waterfall (Gullfoss), all in one doable-in-a-day loop. Visiting
under your own steam (
Click here
) allows you to visit at off-hours and explore exciting at-
tractions further afield. Almost every tour company in the Reykjavík area offers a Golden
Circle excursion (from bus to bike to super-Jeep), often combinable with other sights as
well.
