A Day at Reykjanes Peninsula from Hafnarfjordur
Hafnarfjordur
Book online or call: +44 0800 015 4961
Duration:
12h
Activity Level:
Moderate
Experience:
Adventure, Historical, Nature
Language:
English
Photo permit included
Tour by public transport
Canal Boat tour included
Train tickets included
Suitable for little children
Wheelchair accessible tour
Museum ticket included
Light snack included
Lunch included
Transportation included
Walking Tour
Overview
Iceland wonderful landscapes, areas marked by an active underground volcanic activity, hot springs and the only place in the world where you can see the rift separating tectonic plates of Europe and North America make this 12-hour small group a one-of-a-kind experience. Though you visit a number of local natural attractions and spend 12 hours on this journey, natural beauty and comfortable transportation will help to combine active and relaxing pastime.
What's included
- English-speaking guide
- Transportation
- Pick-up from the pick-up location in Hafnarfjordur
- Food and drinks
- Personal expenses
- Clothing according to weather conditions is required
Highlights
Grænavatn
Just a few kilometers south of the Geothermal area Seltún at Krísuvík is a small lake, Grænavatn (Greenlake). The lake is a volcanic crater that got its name from its unusual green color. The color is due to a high level of sulphur in the water and its depth. The lake is only about few hundred meters in diameter and offers a perfect trail for a refreshing walk, as it only takes about 20 minutes to walk around the lake. For a small lake it is quite deep, though, or 45 meters. This is visible as you stand by the brim, and you can see how the color changes by the shoreline where the lake gets deeper. Grænavatn is considered by geologists to be one of the most noteworthy geological phenomena of its kind in Iceland.
Gunnuhver
A brewing geothermal field, the place where hot gases bubble out from deep within the earth through fissures in its tectonic plates. This phenomenon created the country’s famous geysers and hot springs, the largest of which is Gunnuhver.
Gunnuhver measures 65 feet across and is constantly spewing dense, cloudy steam at a scalding 570˚F. It is unique from Iceland’s other hot springs in that it is entirely seawater, due to its proximity to the ocean. The surrounding rocks are impressive as well, colored dazzling oranges and blues from unusual minerals. But its natural majesty isn’t the only reason Gunnuhver is famous. It has a ghost story as well, which gave the hot spring its name.
Hafnarfjordur
Hafnarfjordur is a port town located only 10 km south of Reykjavík. Being the third largest city in Iceland, it is still one of the most quiet and peacefull places. However there are plenty of attractions to visit here not to mention its great location that makes Hafnarfjordur even more attractive for tourists. Several annual events such as the Bright days festival and the Viking festival are also kept here.
Kleifarvatn
Kleifarvatn is the largest lake on the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, situated in the southern part of the peninsula. It is located on the fissure zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The lake has no visible water coming in or going out as most of its water comes and leaves underground. The lake can be reached via a track, and there are two areas with high temperature that can be found not far from it: Seltún/Krýsuvík and another to the east. The lake's greatest depth is 97 m. After the 2000 Iceland earthquakes, the lake began to diminish, and 20% of its surface has since disappeared.
The novel Kleifarvatn by Icelandic writer Arnaldur Indriðason was named after the lake.
Krisuvikurberg
The cliff is a wall that the mighty Atlantic Ocean has molded with its enduring force for thousands of years. The cliff was originally formed by blankets of layers of lava that accumulated on top of each other thousands of years ago in many different eruptions. A process that can only be explained on a geological timeline. The layers are visible on the wall with different colors as they represent a different time and different kind of magma and lava. There are up to 10 different layers on the east part of Krísuvíkurbjarg and around five on the west side. It is a monument of Natures ability to form various patters in thousands of years for us to enjoy and photograph.
Leifur Eiríksson Bridge
The unique place where two of the Earth’s tectonic plates split. This 18 meters long bridge, in a symbolic purpose, illustrates the phenomenon of continental drift and connects the tectonic plates. It is where the Old World (Eurasian continent) and the New World (North American continent) was engaged in a tug of war. From the 1220s to the 1240s, the area was all on fire ! Evidence of this firestorm can still be seen in the canyons, crevices and along the jagged lines of this amazing place.
Seltun
Seltún geothermal area in Krýsuvík is one of the most striking landscapes in Iceland. Steam dominates the area with volcanic vents, fumaroles, mud pots and boiling hot springs. The green hills are painted in earthy colors of golden brown, red, pink, blue, yellow, white and grey.
Seltún comprises several geothermal fields in the Krýsuvík area on Reykjanes peninsula. It sits right on the doorstep of Reykjavík. Like many other nearby sites, it lies on the fissure zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, making it a high-temperature area.
This ridge is the reason the entire region is a bit rough and alien-looking, with jagged moss-coated lava and old volcanic craters, rolling hills and amazing rock formations, and bubbling geothermal mud pools.
Visiting Seltún is like stepping into another dimension. Hissing steam is forced out of the earth from geothermal vents as mud bubbles and boiling hot springs.
Wherever you step, boiling water bubbles out of the earth left and right with a strong sulfate smell.
Stora and Litla Eldborg
Stóra-Eldborg undir Geitahlíð is a small Holocene volcano in Iceland, on Reykjanes peninsula, 50 m high, with a 30 m deep crater. It is located at about 5 km from Krýsuvík and as the name says at the foot of a bigger mountain, the tuya of Geitahlíð.
Stora-Eldborg undir Geitahlíð is a pyroclastic cone, built up mostly from spatter and scoria it forms part of a crater row.
Another such eruption fissure is to be found nearby, therefore Icelanders prefer the plural Eldborgir undir Geitahlíð. One of the eruption fissures dissects the older tuya Geitahlíð.
The Litla-Eldborg crater is part of the parallel crater row and eruption fissure. The eruption products of both fissures are petrologically different when compared. For this reason, it has been thought, that the fissures are not from the same eruption series.
Valahnukur
Valahnukur is composed of tuff layers, pillow lava and breccia. The mountain was formed in a single eruption and shows evidence of the different phases of the eruption. The tuff forms in explosive eruption, while the pillow lava forms when the lava erupts under water.
Itinerary
08:30
The tour will start as soon as you will be picked up form the pick-up location in Hafnarfjordur. Then you will set ofOf to the first stop on your intinerary – Kleifarvatn, the largest and the deepest lake in this part of the country. Then your guide will take you to the charming geothermal field of Seltún which is no less impressive, Grænavatn, several rounded lakes, and Stóra and Litla Eldborg, two natural shaped craters.
One of the Iceland well-known bird-cliffs inhabited by almost 60 000 pairs of species is also waiting for you on this journey. One more thing that will surprise you is the largest geothermal field of the peninsula – Gunnuhver.
After that you will continue your trip to the desert volcanic lava area with an amazing view. Don’t miss your chance to make thousands unique photos between cliffs and rocks growing straight out of the ocean.
Two final stops on the itinerary is the bridge between Continents – Leifur Eiríksson Bridge – and Sog that is he largest freshwater river in Iceland in flowing out in a multicolored gorge.
Your tour will conclude as soon as you will be brought to the initial location.
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