Landscape Photography and a Solar Eclipse

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Saturday, 1 August 2026 - A group tour along Iceland’s famous Golden Circle, beginning at the turquoise waters of Kerið Crater before visiting the spectacular Strokkur Geyser and the powerful Gullfoss waterfall. The day ended at Þingvellir National Park, where Iceland’s history and the dramatic rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates come together.

Today I would be on a Golden Circle Day Trip - a famous circuit of beautiful Icelandic sights close to Reykjavík.

iceland2026 — The tour stopped after an hour in the town of Hveragerði at a Bónus supermarket. The symbol of the chain is the little pig.

iceland2026 — Our first stop was Kerið Crater - a volcanic crater lake.

iceland2026 — Down in the crater the water is striking. The lake at the bottom of the crater is fairly shallow: 18–42 feet. Due to minerals from the soil, the water appears aquamarine.

iceland2026 — A panorama of the crater lake.

iceland2026 — Crystal clear water fills the crater.

iceland2026 — Beautiful lake - with many, many tourists.

iceland2026 — The next big sight was Strokkur Geyser, which erupts every 6-8 minutes. The tour guide told us we had 1.5 hours at the site and that should include lunch. I set out for the geyser immediately. I watched several eruptions which were not consistent - sometimes tall and sometimes short.

iceland2026 — Above the geyser were a few smaller hot spring pools. This one is called Blesi and was bubbling constantly.

iceland2026 — On a hike to the top of a hill over the geyser, I passed a small hot spring in a ravine along the trail.

iceland2026 — From the top of the hill I could see Langjökull, which is the second-largest ice cap in Iceland.

iceland2026 — Strokkur Geyser eruption as seen from the top of the hill.

iceland2026 — Gullfoss (Golden Falls) was the next stop. The Hvítá river flows over the lava and makes two giant drops. The second drop forces the water to make a sharp turn in a deep fissure.

iceland2026 — Down in the canyon was a Whooper Swan

iceland2026 — Water flows over the last drop into the fissure canyon.

iceland2026 — Gullfoss is one of the most visited sites in Iceland. Just off a major highway and easily within travel from Reykjavík.

iceland2026 — You can travel up to the bluff overlooking the waterfall. A beautiful landscape.

iceland2026 — A tremendous volume of water in the falls. 5,000 cubit feet per second.

iceland2026 — The corner where the Hvítá River drops 70 feet and turns 90 degrees into the narrow Gullfossgljúfur canyon.

iceland2026 — The last stop was Þingvellir National Park, it is here that the Icelandic parliament met from 930 AD to 1798 AD. The owner of the region was found guilty of murder. His land was declared public and then obligated to be used for assembly proceedings. The area was chosen for this reason and its accessibility to the most populous regions of the north, south, and west.

iceland2026 — The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

iceland2026 — A church (Þingvallakirkja) and buildings in the park along the water feeding into Þingvallavatn, the largest natural lake of Iceland.

iceland2026 — Unusual clouds sweeping through the sky. Colors on the edge from the sun.

iceland2026 — The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks or faults which traverse the region, the largest one, Almannagjá, being a veritable canyon.

iceland2026 — Odd rock from a previous lava flow spills out of the fault.

iceland2026 — Several large fissures, all parallel on the same plane. Paths walk through several of the larger canyons.

iceland2026 — The fissures go into the lake where they are popular with scuba divers.

iceland2026 — The Icelandic flag - adopted in 1944 when Iceland became a republic.

Nordic Cross: The sideways cross design connects Iceland to other Nordic countries like Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Blue: Represents the mountains, sky, and surrounding ocean.

White: Represents ice, snow, and glaciers.

Red: Represents the island's volcanic fire and magma.

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