Southwestern region of Iceland
View of Reykjavik from the top of Perlan situated on the hill Öskjuhlíð.
With a population of around 120,000, Reykjavik is the heart of Iceland's economic and governmental activity. Iceland has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2
Ingólfur Arnarson is said to have decided the location of his settlement using a traditional Viking method; by casting his high seat pillars into the ocean when he saw the coastline, then settled where the pillars came to shore. Steam from hot springs in the region is said to have inspired Reykjavík's name, which loosely translates to Smoke Cove.
Text from wikipedia, some rights reserved. Photos by Ivona Stimac Trontelj, all rights reserved.
Gullfoss
Gullfoss (English: Golden Falls) is a waterfall located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest Iceland.
About a kilometer above the falls it turns sharply to the left and flows down into a wide curved three-step "staircase" and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice 32 m (105 ft) deep. The crevice, about 20 m (60 ft) wide, and 2.5 km in length, is at right angles to the flow of the river.
Strokkur geyser
It is one of Iceland's most famous geysers, erupting about every 4-8 minutes 15 - 20 m high, sometimes up to 40 m high. it is one of very few natural geysers to erupt frequently and reliably.
Þingvellir
Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland.
Þingvellir National Park was founded in 1930 to protect the remains of the parliament site and was later expanded to protect natural phenomena in the surrounding area.
Continental drift
The continental drift (movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other) that splits Iceland between the North American and Eurasian continents can be clearly seen in the cracks or faults.
Northern lights
In northern latitudes, the effect is known as the aurora borealis (or the northern lights).
Auroras seen near the magnetic pole may be high overhead, but from farther away, they illuminate the northern horizon as a greenish glow or sometimes a faint red, and can change within seconds or glow unchanging for hours.
Blue Lagoon
The steamy waters of this geothermal spa are part of a lava formation.
The water temperature in the bathing and swimming area of the lagoon averages 37–39 °C (98–102 °F). The Blue Lagoon also operates a Research and Development facility to help find cures for other skin ailments using the mineral-rich water.
Silica mud
The warm waters in Blue Lagoon are rich in minerals like silica and sulphur and bathing in the Blue Lagoon is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis.
