If you followed Pt 1 of our Golden Circle tour, you may remember that we visited the Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station before driving on to Thingvellir National Park, where we could see how the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are gradually pulling Iceland apart.

This fault line is responsible for the large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that frequently occur in Iceland, but we’re now on our way to an area that will show us in graphic detail how these seismic events affect the landscape in other ways and why the power station is located where it is.

Part of the  journey from Thingvellir meant driving along a gravel road (which has since been tarmacked) to the Gulfoss Waterfall (D on map). There is no shortage of waterfalls in Iceland but this one is special. Apparently, the River Hvita (when it’s not iced up) plunges downhill at an average rate of 5,000 cubic feet per second. I forgot to bring my cubic measuring stick with me to see if it’s true or not, but let’s just say it’s one extraordinary spectacle, and it’s not hard to believe that during the 20^th century there was talk of harnessing its power for hydroelectricity. Fortunately it didn’t materialize and is now one of Iceland’s main tourist attractions.

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Originally posted 2024-01-06 11:43:16.