National Parks in Iceland: Short Overview

National parks are normally great tourist attractions. They are usually situated in areas considered exceptional in landscape, flora or fauna and/or have historic significance. They are often government owned and run and therefore have easy public access. In Iceland the law mandates the state to facilitate public access by making information easily accessible, laying trails and offering visitor facilities.

In Iceland there are three National Parks. Each one has its special point of interest and all are great places to visit.

Þingvellir is closest to Reykjavik – it takes only about 30 minutes to drive there from Reykjavik and it is magnificent no matter the season. It is the site of Iceland’s first parliament, a World Heritage site and also is situated in a rift valley between the American and European geological plates.

Snæfellsjökull National Park is situated as the name implies in Snæfellsnes, about 2 hour drive from Reykjavík. This park offers everything from a volcano to a glacier and reaches from the seashore to the mountaintops.



Vatnajökull National Park reaches from the southeast to the very north of Iceland. It is the largest national park in Europe and 11,5% of Iceland covering an area of 12.000 km2. Vatnajökull National Park offers some of the biggest tourist attractions in Iceland among them Skaftafell in the southeast and Jökulsárgljúfur in the north.

Posted on: Dec 28 2009 in Places and Attractions