OUR DIAMOND CIRCLE The splashing waterfall The first stop we made was at the famous waterfall «Dettifoss». With its height of 45 meters, width of 100 meters, and average flow rate of 193 meters cubed per second it is one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe. To get to this waterfall we had to pass a big black stone desert. Even if you arrive at one of the several vantage points you can’t even see the whole waterfall because of its size but also since the spray is immense. When standing there you feel like getting soaked, so pack a swimsuit.
Iceland’s geothermal activity After an hour-long drive, we arrived at our second stop — «Krafla». This volcanic area Dettifoss waterfall stretches over 100 kilometres whereas the Crater has a width of 10 kilometers. The clear blue «Lake Víti» located in the middle of the volcano once was a glacier that melted in 1724 due to many volcanic eruptions. Due to continental drift, the continental plates diverge and magma leaks out meaning the «Krafla» is still active. Not only magma but also sulfurous steam as well. Nearby there is the so-called «Námjafall», a geothermal area that belongs to the «Krafla». Due to Iceland being located between the European and the North American plate the earth's crust is thin therefore the ground gets hot and Fumarole develops. Fumaroles are holes in the ground from which volcanic gases and steam are released due to Iceland’s volcanic activity.
The whole area around «Krafla» including «Námjafall» looks so different from what we have seen before and somehow feels like being on another planet.
Game of Thrones cave Not far away there is a small lava cave — the «Grjótagjá Cave», which appeared to be our next stop. The geothermal spring inside this cave was used for bathing until approximately 1970 when it became too hot due to volcanic activities. After a short steep entry, one finds
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themselves directly in the cave and is even able to touch the water. Grjótagjá is very famous among «Game of Thrones» fans since this cave served as a filming location. Though the cave was smaller than we expected it is still worth a visit.
