Gullfoss is one of the stars of Iceland’s Golden Circle route
PHOTOGRAPHS: IAN GETHINGS/GETTY IMAGES, SIMON HARRIS/ROBERT HARDING, CHRIS HEPBURN/GETTY, MATTHEW MICAH WRIGHT/GETTY, © LOLITA MONTANA
Natural wonders
ÞINGVELLIR 1
Iceland’s frst national park and its most important historic site, the World Heritage-listed Þingvellir was where the Vikings established the Alþingi in AD 930 – now the world’s oldest parliament. Only the stone foundations of ancient encampments remain, but the setting is superb: an immense, fssured rift valley of rivers and waterfalls, just 25 miles east of Reykjavík (thingvellir.is; free).
GULLFOSS 2
Iceland’s most famous waterfall, Gullfoss (Golden Falls) is a spectacular double cascade. It drops 32 metres, kicking up tiered walls of spray before thundering away down a narrow ravine. On sunny days, the mist creates shimmering rainbows, and it’s also magical in winter when the falls glitter with ice. There’s a lookout over the falls, and a set of steps continues down to the water’s edge (Highway 35; free).
Geysers are rare – Iceland has Europe’s only hot-water ones