Overview

Iceland (Icelandic:  Ísland) is a mountainous island nation in the north Atlantic Ocean, located between Europe and North America. Though not part of the continental mainland, the country is considered European. The name of the country - Iceland - may not be that appropriate: although 10% of Iceland is covered by glaciers, it has a surprisingly mild climate and countless geothermal hot-spots. The native spelling (”Ísland”) is appropriate in English as well.

It’s a shame most visitors don’t stray far from the capital as some of the most memorable sights in Iceland are further afield. There are many excursions offered by tour companies, readily available from any of the main centres such as Reykjavík and Akureyri. They will fly you around and take you out to the glaciers and to the big volcanoes for a reasonable price. However, the cheapest option is to drive around with a rented car since none of these sites have entry fees.

National Parks:

  * Þingvellir National Park (pronounced “THING-vet-lihr”) - National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. 30 to 50 km (20 - 30 mi) east of Reykjavík. Interesting for a number of reasons: Not only is it the original site of the longest running parliament in the world (the name literally means ‘parliamentary fields’), it’s also where the North-American and European continental shelf plates are being torn apart.

  * Vatnajökull National Park - Iceland’s newest national park was founded on June 7th, 2008 and includes the former Skaftafell and Jokulsargljufur National Parks. Vatnajökull National Park is Europe’s largest national park at 12,000 km2, covering about 12% of the surface of Iceland. The park is home to Iceland’s highest mountain (Hvannadalshnúkur), largest glacier (Vatnajökull), and Europe’s most powerful waterfall (Dettifoss).

  * Snæfellsjökull National Park - Located on the tip of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in southern Iceland, this park is home to the ice-covered volcanic crater that was the setting for Jules Verne’s book Journey to the Center of the Earth.

(from wikitravel.org)