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Located at the intersection between the North Atlantic Sea and the Arctic Ocean
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you'll find this island known as Iceland, the westernmost European country. The country is about 103,000 square kilometers, which is about the size of the U.S. state of Ohio
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with a population of around 355,000 people. The capital of this small country is called Reykjavik, which is also the largest city
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You should definitely spend some time here in Reykjavik. There are some great restaurants, some lovely boutiques
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and a beautiful, uniquely designed church in the middle of town. Heading southeast, we'll start heading towards this area that's nicknamed the Golden Circle
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The Golden Circle isn't its official name. It's just a useful way to think of this area as a nice loop that contains an abundance of some of Iceland's most beautiful sights, all very accessible
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There are lots of villages on and around the Golden Circle route, with an abundance of lodging options
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Our first stop is one of Iceland's most historically significant sites. Just 45 minutes away from Reykjavik, it's right here
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Thingvellir National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This park is arguably one of the most important historical sites in Iceland
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That because this is where the Althing or the National Parliament in Iceland was established and where it sat from 930 to 1798 nearly a thousand years
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It's also important for another reason, these tectonic plates. These plates have been moving apart for millions of years
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and magma coming up through this crack in the plates is what created Iceland
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Thingvellir National Park is right where the North American and Eurasian plates come together
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or in this case, are coming apart. People go diving here to see the continental divide
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It's considered to be one of the top five best diving sites in the world
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Next, you drive another 45 minutes and pull off the road here at Kirid Crater. This crater was
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formed by a giant volcanic explosion 3,000 years ago. It's one of Iceland's younger craters
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which means many of the volcanic minerals haven't totally seeped back into the earth yet. So they
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remain on the surface, contributing to the unique crimson-colored rock and blue-greenish water
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It's right off the main road, so you can easily pull off onto this parking lot and pay a small
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entrance fee to go in. It's worth spending at least 30 minutes exploring this spot. You can
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hike down right up to the water, and it really is a stunning sight, both in winter and in summer
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As we head north, we head into a geothermal area. You're going to meet two geysers here
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the Great Geyser and its younger brother Strokor This is a vent in the Earth surface that periodically ejects a column of hot water and steam The Great Geyser is actually the original geyser
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meaning this is where all other geysers in the world got their name. It's currently a dormant geyser
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Its last major eruption occurred in the year 2000. So for now, it's considered inactive
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But Strokor Geyser, right next door, is a much more active geyser
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with eruptions happening every 5 to 10 minutes. These eruptions are huge, 20 meters or 60 feet high
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And so if you show up, you're sure to catch some of the action. Just right down the road from these geysers, you'll find Gullfoss
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Gullfoss, which means golden waterfall in Icelandic, gets its name for its golden brown water
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due to the sediment it's carrying from glacier ice. With a total height of 32 meters or 105 feet
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Gullfoss is an impressive display of Iceland's nature. Next, we drive around 35 kilometers to the Secret Lagoon
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Despite its name, this hot spring is well-known in the Golden Circle route
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We call it the Secret Lagoon, but locals simply call it the Old Pool
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It was built in 1891, and it's officially the oldest swimming pool in Iceland
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It's not as popular as the Blue Lagoon, but you still may want to book a ticket prior
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as it can fill up during popular tourist times. You going to pay around 3000 krona or 24 US dollars for adults For children it free as long as they accompanied by their parents Alternatively if you want a more natural and remote feel to the hot spring experience
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then you should consider visiting Karunalong Hot Spring. The hot spring is located not too far from the Secret Lagoon
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It's a beautiful remote hot spring nestled away between these hills. It costs a small fee to enter, but if there's no staff present during your visit
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it's encouraged to leave a small donation at the nearby donation box to show your appreciation to the staff that helped keep the place open and clean
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There's so much to see in the southern coast of Iceland. So many amazing natural sights and beautiful little villages
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And it's hard to know where to start in planning a trip. That's why we made a course
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To take the guesswork out of the equation of planning your trip to southern Iceland
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And to give you a broad context of this place so that when you get there, you feel empowered not only with practical tips and an itinerary
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but also with knowledge and context about this amazing country. So join us on this course that takes on road tripping in southern Iceland
