South Iceland

When you head east from Reykjavík, it doesn't take long to leave the Capital Region and enter South Iceland. The city immediately feels quite far away. This area is home to the Golden Circle and Vatnajökull National Park. It's filled with picturesque waterfalls, black-sand beaches, thermal hot springs, iceberg-filled lagoons, stunning hiking trails, and fascinating historic sites. There's a lot to see within relatively short driving distances. It's a good place to start your real Icelandic adventure.

Þingvellir (Thingvellir in English) is the birthplace of Iceland. This is where Alþingi, Iceland's parliament, met from 930 until 1798. That's almost 900 years. It also means that Iceland has the oldest operating parliament in the world. Pretty impressive. The area isn't full of old structures or crumbling ruins, though. There are actually very few buildings on this historic land. Instead, Iceland turned the grounds, which sit on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (the boundary between the tectonic plates of Eurasia and North America), into its first national park. Thingvellir National Park (established in 1928) sits on the north shore of Þingvallavatn (Iceland's largest natural lake). It's part of the Golden Circle (along with Geysir and Gullfoss) and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a Visitor Centre with a viewing platform, an exhibition about the park's history, and a cafeteria. It has information about hiking trails, as well as fishing, horseback riding, and scuba diving (in Silfra, a fissure with clear spring water). Leave yourself plenty of time to explore, especially on nice days. Note: There isn't a fee to enter the national park, but you do have to pay for parking and the exhibit in the Visitor Centre.

Þingvallavatn (Thingvallavatn or the Lake of the Fields of Parliament in English) is the largest natural lake in Iceland. Since Þingvellir National Park sits on its northern shore, part of the lake lies within its boundaries. It's also atop the Mid-Atlantic Rift (the boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates). The lake is known for having four species of Arctic char. Brown trout and three-spined sticklebacks live here, too. You can go fishing. You can also scuba dive in Silfra, a fissure filled with clear spring water. Be sure to stop at the viewing platforms along the lake to take in the gorgeous views.

Hengill is a table mountain and volcano just outside the Capital Region in southwest Iceland. Though the volcano hasn't erupted in about 2,000 years, it's still an active one. Steaming fumaroles and boiling hot springs line its slopes. Warm water flows down the Varmá river. While its geothermal activity heats two power stations, Hveragerði's homes, and numerous greenhouses. Add fabulous views, which extend all the way to Þingvallavatn in the north and the Icelandic coast in the south, on Hengill's hiking trails.

A table mountain that doubles as a not-quite-dormant volcano. A geothermal area with steam spurting through the ground. The largest natural lake in the country. Easy access to the country's first national park. Sounds like a spectacular setting for a hotel. The mountain is Hengill. The geothermal area is Nesjavellir, home to the second-largest geothermal power station in Iceland. The lake is Þingvallavatn. The national park is Þingvellir. As of a few years ago, the hotel is ION Adventure Hotel. And, yes, it's pretty spectacular. ION Adventure Hotel took over an abandoned inn and gave it an amazing facelift. The stilted, modernist building now features black cladding, lots of raw concrete, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Minimal rooms feature wood floors and oversized photos of horses. The restaurant serves fresh, local ingredients. The bar offers Icelandic beer and spirits. Plus there's an indoor-outdoor spa with treatment rooms, saunas, and a year-round pool that's geothermally heated (of course). Be sure to request a wake-up call if the northern lights make an appearance.