ICELAND
FIRE & ICE

Different tours and custom-made arrangements for small groups are available. The schedule will depend on the respective tour. This is an example of a five-day round trip:

Day 1: Arrival in Keflavik. Transfer to Reykjavik and overnight stay at the hotel. Depending on arrival time, a city tour or a visit of the thermal bath “Blue Lagoon” is possible.

Day 2: We will visit the most popular dive site in Iceland: Silfra. The dive site is located in the Þingvellir National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, about a 45 minute drive from Reykjavík. On our way the guide will point out interesting facts about the history and geology of the park.
At Þingvallavatn we will take one dive through Silfra. It is your first chance to experience the fantastic visibility in Silfra as well as the feeling of being in a crack separating the North American and Eurasian continental plates. When we arrive at the dive site you will receive a detailed briefing about Silfra, the plan and procedure before gearing up and walking to the fissure. We’ll take a few steps down the ladder and make contact with the world’s clearest water. It‘s so pure you can even drink it! The slight current formed by the underground wells will make our dive in the crack an easy one.
After this amazing dive we will drive up North (about 380km) towards the second largest town of Iceland, Akureyri, where we will spend the night at the very cosy Skjaldarvík Guesthouse.

Day 3: In the North of Iceland, not far from the country´s second largest town, Akureyri, in the middle of the Eyjafjördur fjord are a couple of very special dive sites. At a depth of about 70m a hot spring has been releasing hot mineral-rich water into the ocean. As soon as the dissolved minerals in the hot fresh water come in contact with the cold ocean water, they react and solidify.
Throughout the last 10.000 years or so this process has created a 55m tall chimney that reaches up to 15m below the surface. Strýtan has been a protected nature reserve since 2001 and is subject to extensive research and observation. Apart from huge quantities of mineral rich hot water, visible as an amalgam of haloclines and thermoclines, divers may see large schools of pollock swimming up and down the chimney.
On the opposite side of the fjord lies another, yet smaller, geothermal chimney, aptly referred to as ´Little Chimney´. While much smaller than its counterpart across the bay, ´Little Chimney´ is many divers´ favourite ocean site in Iceland. The reasons are many, among which is the fact that this is probably one of the world´s best places to observe wolf fish in their natural habitat. As many as 15 specimens have been spotted on a single dive! Other highlights include a plethora of invertebrates, from giant sea cucumbers and anemonies to nudibranchs and the tiny, yet funny looking, skeleton shrimp. On both of those sites divers can explore the thermophilic flora and fauna that have developed and settled around the geothermal chimneys and feel the hot water that wells out of them. We will complete two dives on these stunning underwater phenomena by RIB, weather permitting, which is almost always the case.
After diving we will have time to relax in the nice accommodation Skjaldarvík with hot-tub and bar.

Day 4: On this day we will visit the ‘Silfra of the North’: Nesgjá. This is a continuation of the same continental fissure that includes Silfra and is another exciting freshwater fissure with crystal clear water. We will make our way through Húsavík, reported as being Europe´s whale watching capital.
A scenic two hours from your guesthouse, Nesgjá is a result of tectonic movement and the divergence of the Eurasian and North American continental plates. Similar to Silfra but different in many ways, Nesgjá is quite shallow but amazingly beautiful. The adjacent lagoon is huge and you can see much farther than 100m. Sometimes we spot arctic char, a type of salmon, in the fissure. We will also visit Litla á, the 17°C geothermal river, for a snorkelling expedition, where you will be mesmerized by the dancing volcanic sands and multi-coloured sediments leaping from the bottom. Heated water erupts from below the bottom causing beautiful designs and ripples in the riverbed while you drift along the surface above. It will make even the most experienced divers wonder if it is indeed possible to have nitrogen narcosis while snorkeling!
After the dive and snorkel we will make our way to Goðafoss, known as the Waterfall of the Gods, and visit the amazing Mývatn area for some sightseeing of craters and pseudo craters, a hot spring area with steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pots, referred to as the “devils kitchen”… and more.
After this long but thrilling day we will retire to our guesthouse in Skjaldarvík where you can enjoy a delicious Icelandic meal and relax in preparation for the next day‘s diving.

Day 5: We´re back in Eyjafjordur fjord where we dived the chimneys on day 2. This time we´re aiming for either the “French gardens” or the “Wall”, both of which are amazing geological structures with an abundance of marine life, including red fish, lump suckers, wolf fish. Also they are known for their colourful display of anemonies and rocks covered with algae in shades of pink and purple you didn´t even know existed.
A third option would be to revisit one of the chimneys from day 2. This depends on the weather conditions and the gusto of the group. Again we will be diving of a RIB boat a short boat ride of the small fishing town Hjalteyri with its interesting history from Iceland´s herring fishing era.
After the dive we have lunch in Akureyri as we de-gas for a couple of hours before the scenic drive back to Reykjavik where we will spend the night.

Day 6: On our last day in Iceland we will pick you up from your hotel in Reykjavík and drive (if weather permits) the ´scenic route´ to Þingvellir National Park, which takes us by the geothermal powerplant Nesjavellir, which supplies Reykajvík with a large part of its hot water.
After the dive we will have a steaming cup of hot chocolate and then head to the spouting hot spring area known as Geysir. Located in Haukadalur, it is the biggest geyser in Europe and truly impressive.
Your guide will show you around and tell you some interesting facts and stories about the spouting geysers ‚Strokkur‘ and ‚Geysir‘ as well as the area. Strokkur is a very reliable erupting about once every 8 minutes.
You will have time to grab a sandwich at the snack shop of the Geysir Centre and visit the multimedia show and souvenir shop. Our next stop is the most photographed waterfall in Iceland: Gullfoss!
It is a magnificent natural heritage site and shouldn‘t be missed by any visitor to Iceland. Tumbling down a deep gorge, it has a number of great places to take pictures and enjoy the beauty of natural Iceland. Even in the winter it is so powerful that it flows although it also freezes in parts. You will learn about the history behind this waterfall and the geological features that created the canyon.
After a day full of impressive experiences and views we will drive you back to Reykjavík and you will surely have no problem falling asleep.

Day 7: Departure. From Reykjavik by bus or taxi to the International Airport in Keflavik and from here to home airport.