LAVAFIELDS AND LUNAR LANDSCAPES

On this tour we experience various aspects of the geothermal wonders of Iceland; lunar landscapes and boiling mud pits in Reykjanes geo park and the movements of tectonic earth plates at Thingvellir. We also see how Icelanders have used the heat underneath their feet to improve every day life.

The tour takes us to the panoramic view of lake Kleifarvatn and the geothermal area of Krýsuvík with its boiling mud and steam vents. It may feel a bit like stepping outside civilization for a moment to feel how the earth breaths. From there we continue along the south coast with its fishing villages and open views towards the sea. After a delicious lunch of high quality local ingredients in one of the villages we visit Hellisheiði Power Plant, where we explore how geothermal power in Iceland is being utilized for heating and electricity.

The impressive lava fields at Thingvellir national park tell a different story. Thingvellir national park and UNESCO world heritage site has a special place in the hearts of Icelanders. At Thingvellir the Vikings established open-air assembly as early as the year 930 and in this place many men and women met their fate for better or worse. Thingvellir is a place of unique geology marked by fissures and ravines. Looking over Thingvellir the continental drift of the Eurasian and North-American tectonic earth plates can be clearly grasped in the many faults that cross the region. Here we have a place where the ever continuing creation of the earth can be witnessed.