Review: Thingvellir National Park

Thingvellir is one of Iceland’s two UNESCO sites and one of the most consistently popular tourist destinations in the country. The site of Iceland’s first general assembly in the year 930, it’s where two tectonic plates meet and are slowly pulling apart from each other (at the rate of about two centimeters per year), resulting in a gorgeous rift valley. Many tourists stop here as part of the "Golden Circle" package tours, but you could easily spend hours hiking, horseback riding, and exploring Thingvellir on your own. At two spots between the rifts, Silfra and Davíðsgjá, there is enough water to permit diving or snorkeling. The cold, deep blue water and striking views of the jagged cliffs are unparalleled.