One word- Gullfloss! This powerful and spectacular Icelandic waterfall is part of the Golden Circle, and was my favorite location in the circle. The two other locations I had visited were Pingevllir (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and the Geysir Geothermal area. All were fascinating and I enjoyed the three destinations, but that waterfall was exhilarating!
Iceland is not short of tremendous natural locations to experience, due to the geological environment and how the country came to be. This is the country that has been referred to as “fire and ice”, which has given it an extraordinary landscape of volcanoes, glaciers waterfalls and much more.
The Golden circle is a popular route for visitors in Iceland to witness several of Iceland’s glorious landmarks. You can rent a car and visit them on your own, or take one of the many day tours that leave Reykjavik. Either way your visit to the Golden circle, will leave an impression on you, as well as a memorable experience.
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Gullfloss Waterfall
During my visit to Iceland, I had visited three waterfalls and Gullfloss was my favorite. It left me speechless. The full waterfall experience is what left an impression on me; the cold bitter wind, the roar of the falls, the scenic cascading views, and the vibration along the ground beneath me. Gullfloss is one of Iceland’s most photographed and popular destinations, and needs to be experienced, as photographs do not do this waterfall justice.
The waterfall is enormous and powerful, and its movements are magnificent. Gullfloss harshly flows, it curves and has a three-step “stair case” into a valley. The waterfall has an impressive average amount of water fall of 5,000 cu ft. per second during the summer, and 2,800 cu ft. in the winter.
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Þingvellir National Park
Þingvellir National Park is a geological wonder, with its massive Eurasian and North American tectonic plates exposed. The most exciting part of this visit is that you can walk in between the massive sheer rock faces of the tectonic plates.
Þingvellir National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was inscribed in 2004. It is the only UNESCO site located on the Icelandic mainland.
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The Geysir Geothermal Area
Another stop along the Golden Circle is the Geysir Hot Springs area, which is an incredible site. The surrounding environment itself felt ancient and unworldly, despite all the tourists surrounding the geysers. The landscape which was crated by Iceland’s volcanic activity is bare, marshy, with boiling mud pools that surround the impressive geysers.
Geyser activity began more than 1,000 years ago and there are more than a dozen blow holes in the area, spewing hot water from below the earth’s surface. The crowd pleaser is the highly active Strokkur geyser, which spouts water up to 100 ft. into the air, every few minutes.
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Trixie Navarre 
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