9. From Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkeling Between Tectonic Plates
Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience with a snorkeling tour of Silfra fissure!
Float between two tectonic plates, between the continents, in the clearest water in the world (100m+ visibility) while admiring the mesmerizing colors of this underwater world.
You don’t need to be a certified diver in order to experience water at its clearest! Snorkeling at Silfra is suitable for anyone who feels comfortable in water and knows how to swim. This family-friendly activity is suitable for children from 12 years old.
The snorkeling tour of Silfra is done in a dry suit, helping you to stay warm and dry inside the suit while swimming in the cold, crystal clear water.
Silfra is located in Thingvellir National Park which is a Unesco heritage site. The beautiful park is one of the wonders on the famous Golden circle route.
You will first meet your driver at the selected pick-up location in Reykjavik. Once you arrive at Silfra, you will be divided into groups of 6 people, one group per guide. Briefing and gear-up with your guide takes about 1 hour in total. Then you will make your way to the entry platform and wait for a short time (wait time may vary depending on season). Enter Silfra and spend about 45 minutes in the water.
There are 4 sections of Silfra, You will float through Big Crack, Silfra’s narrowest section and where the continental plates are so close you can almost touch them. The fissure then widens into Silfra Hall. Here the full spectrum of Silfra’s colours and clarity become all the more apparent. At this point if you look at just the right angle you can see all the way to lake Thingvallavatn, over 150m away. Near to the opening to Thingvellir lake we will enter the Silfra Cathedral; as the depth reaches 23m you feel like you are flying over the boulders and glacial silt. Your snorkel is finished in the endless visibility of Silfra Lagoon.
You then exit through the platform and walk back to the meeting point (∼250 meters). Take off equipment and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies to warm up. At this point, you will have time to chat with your guide, ask any questions you might have and take a look at the pics taken during the tour. When ready, you will board the shuttle bus back to Reykjavik.