Underwater favorites in the land of ice and fire 🇮🇸

Litla Garðbúðin

Silfra Fissure Arctic Adventures

Kleifarvatn

Reykjavík

Thingvellir National Park

Davids Gja

Eyjafjörður

Iceland: Snorkeling & Diving

The first thing you think of when planning a trip to Iceland is, well, ice. Right? It's cold. So imagine my surprise when I was looking up snorkeling info during my time there.

1. Silfra Fissure at Þingvellir National Park

You can also arrange private tours, and I believe Dive Iceland still offers a midnight sun tour of Silfra, wihch I highly recommend in general if you've never experienced 24/7 sunlight before.

The most famous and most visited site to snorkel would be the Silfra (Silver Lady) Fissue in Þingvellir National Park. It's super easy to get to and not far from Reykjavik. Yes, it's always extremely cold! You'll don a dry suit and go with a tour or experience company and a guide will take you through the fissure, which lets you float between two tectonic plates and vividly blue and green waters. With 100m (328ft) visibility, don't forget a GoPro-- but definitely make sure it's charged, as cold temperatures drain battery life!

If you're more interested in diving, Dive Iceland (https://www.dive.is/) is a great resource. They will also help get you PADI certified if you need.

2. Davíðsgjá Fissure at Þingvellir National Park

Not far from Silfra is another fissure named Davíðsgjá (or, David's Crack). It's much lesser known but still well visited. It is 21m (68ft) at its deepest point and can be dived for hours in good conditions, and is often known as Silfra's "darker" or "wilder" sibling. Again, you'll need a guide but it's well worth it.

In the middle of the Eyjafjörður (fjord) there has been a hot spring that continually churns hot water into the ocean. Due to a chemical process (minerals!) there is a crazy limestone column that has formed over the years. Needless to say, this is an incredibly unique dive experience!

If you're lucky, you'll encounter some curious trout during your dive!

This is an ADVANCED DIVE! The currents are strong and you will likely need a guide if you're unfamiliar.

Another site close to Reykjavik (just 30 mins away, actually!) is Kleifarvatn Lake. This is an underwater hot spring with no connecting bodies of water. It's said that some divers can feel the vibrations of the rocks on the lake floor due to the constant stream of air bubbles being pushed to the surface!

Litlaá (Little River) is on the northern coast of Iceland but is surprisingly warm, thanks to geothermal activity in the water! With crystal clear waters similar to Silfra, you'll wonder why more people don't snorkel here instead! (Since the water is on the shallower side, diving isn't an option unfortunately).

This is a great list to start with, though I am sure there are plenty more well-kept secrets that only the locals know about! When in doubt, join a tour or work with a guide based on the type of underwater adventures you are looking for.

Iceland: Snorkeling & Diving

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