All Posts, Europe, Iceland · Snorkel the Silfra Fissure – Iceland Bucket List For the most out-of-this-world bucket-list experience in Iceland, strap on a snorkel mask, dry suit, and an ounce of adventure as you jump into the (cold) waters to Snorkel the Silfra Fissure. What is the Silfra Fissure? Iceland is a country that’s alive. Sat on a fault line between two tectonic plates, Iceland is constantly being shaped by powerful, natural forces. In the 18th century, these natural forces caused an earthquake that tore a rift in the valley, forming the fissure that today we call Silfra. The coolest part about Silfra?You look to your right and see the North American tectonic plates, and then to your left lies the Eurasian tectonic plate. Yes, this means you can actually snorkel between North America and Europe – and you don’t even need to bring your passport! The coldest part about Silfra? When this fissure formed in the 18th century, glacial water filled the newly made gap. As this is meltwater from the surrounding glaciers, the temperature is only 2 degrees above freezing! This makes for quite an adventure to explore. The Experience If you told me to willingly jump into freezing cold water in Iceland, I’d call you crazy. But, Silfra has a way of enticing you in with its crystal clear waters and bucket-list experience. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous going into this experience. I got more nervous when I arrived and kept putting on more gear – as if the heavy-duty dry suit was a sign of the elements I was about to venture into. But, I promise it’s all worth it! Once you’re all geared up in full-body suits and snorkel, you walk down a few steps and descend into the glacial cold water. You’ll immediately feel how cold this water actually is – welcome to Iceland. You’ll soon forget about the cold and instead be mesmerized by how clear the water truly is. It takes up to 100 years for the water to filter from the nearby glacier, through volcanic rock, and arrive here at the Silfra fissure. This filtration process is how the water is some of the clearest in the world, with visibility extending over 100 meters. This allows you to spot the diverse rock formations, rare algae, and even easily wave to your snorkel partner! In fact, the water is so clean that you can drink as much of it as you like. It’s actually 30 times clearer than bottled water you could buy at in the supermarket, so drink up this refreshing, ice-cold H2O! The Tour As the only place on Earth where you can snorkel (or even dive) between 2 tectonic plates, Silfra has made a name for itself. In fact, it’s one of the top 5 dive sites in the world. This means there are plenty of tour companies to choose from. I highly recommend snorkeling this once-in-a-lifetime experience with dive.is. They do a fantastic job of guiding you through these freezing cold waters, providing you with all the equipment you need to stay as warm as possible. They also take great photos to document your experience. I planned to bring my GoPro, but I decided against it once I realized just how cold the waters were. I wanted to enjoy this experience without having to worry about taking photos, so it was super nice that they offer the photo package. If you need even more convincing, rest assured that you’ll be in good company with this experienced dive company. Celebrities including Ben Stiller, Tom Cruise, and even Bill Gates have all ventured into these very waters with dive.is. Not to mention the cookies and hot chocolate to warm up to after the experience, and you can see why this company has 5-star reviews and is rated the #1 Reykjavik activity on TripAdvisor! Where is it located? The Silfra Fissure is located in Iceland inside the Thingvellir National Park. Only 45 minutes from Reykjavík, Thingvellir National Park is on the famous Golden Circle route. As almost every tourist to Iceland travels this route, it is so convenient to add the Silfra Snorkel experience to any Iceland itinerary. For reference, I did this tour the morning of my Golden Circle day. My snorkel tour started at 8:30AM and I was heading to the next stop on the Golden Circle by 11AM. Thingvellir National Park is also worth exploring more once you are finished snorkeling. In 930AD, the Vikings established the world’s first parliament right here, making Thingvellir National Park one of the most historical sites in Iceland. I love that Iceland is full of surprises around every corner, and Snorkeling the Silfra Fissure is no exception. Would you add it to your bucket list?? Want more info about Iceland? Check out my other Iceland blog posts: 10 Things To Know Before Visiting IcelandHow to Plan the Ultimate Iceland 4 Day Road Trip DID YOU LIKE THIS POST? PIN IT FOR LATER!
