Silfra, the fissure between the continents
The Silfra fissure, is known as one of the top dive sites in the world for two main reasons.
First, the Silfra fissure is actually a crack between the North American and Eurasian continents, meaning that you dive or snorkel right where the continental plates meet and drift apart about 2cm per year.
Silfra is the only place where one can dive or snorkel directly in the crack between two continental plates.
Secondly, the underwater visibility in the Silfra fissure is over 100 meters, which creates an underwater experience that will rarely, if ever, be surpassed. The reasons for this astounding water clarity are twofold: the water is cold (2°C - 4°C year round ) as it is glacial water from the nearby Langjökull and this water is filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years until it reaches the north end of Thingvellir lake, seeping out from underground wells. The Silfra water is as pristine as water can get and you can drink it at anytime during your dive or snorkel.
The Silfra fissure consists of four sections: Silfra Big Crack, Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral, and Silfra Lagoon. We plan our dives and snorkel swims so that we are able to see all Silfra sections in every Diving Silfra Day Tour and our Silfra Snorkeling Tour. We enter the water from a platform with steps leading down. If you are diving, the maximum depth of the your dive in Silfra will be 18 meters, but the average depth of the dive is between 7 and 12 meters.
How to experience Silfra with us
Thingvellir National Park
Although Thingvellir Lake has an abundance of fish species and trout fishing is very popular in the lake, the fish usually do not venture far into the Silfra fissure. The marine life in Silfra consists mostly of bright green “troll hair” and different types of algae that provide a colorscape unlike anything that occurs naturally above the surface.
The National Park Thingvellir has been declared a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE both for its cultural and historical significance as well as natural and geological uniqueness. It is well worth it to join our Golden Circle Day Tour to further explore Thingvellir on land. Moreover, if you have friends or family accompanying you on your tour but do not wish to get in the water themselves, the area around Silfra is full of lovely walking trails that lead through this fascinating place.
Frequently asked questions about Silfra
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Are there toilet and changing facilities available at Silfra?
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Yes, there are toilet facilities at Silfra. However we kindly ask you to not use them for changing, as there are only 2 toilets at Silfra and it can cause long queues to form. We do have a changing room vehicle, and often several other cars at Silfra for participants to change clothes in. Due to this layout, we highly recommend that participants arrive at Silfra already wearing their thermal base layer.
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Can I buy food at Silfra?
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Unfortunately, there is no food sold directly at Silfra. There is however a restaurant at the Thingvellir Information Centre which is located just 3,5km away from Silfra.
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Do I need to pay for parking at Silfra?
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The Þingvellir National Park charges a parking fee, which allows you to park in any of the five car parks in the park for the duration of the day. Please note that the parking lot for divers and snorkelers at Silfra is called P5 and is about a 5 minute walk to the Silfra meeting point.
You can pay for parking on CheckIt before or during the day of visit, and enter the license plate of your car into the system. Cameras check all license plates entering and leaving the parking lots. If you can’t pay online , you can pay at the Visitor centre. Pay machines will also be installed at the parking lots in near future. The pay machines accept all major credit/debit cards.
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Do you see any life in Silfra?
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Although there is plenty of life in Silfra, most of it is either plant life or microinvertibrates, which are not visible with the human eye. Silfra is home to a unique amphipod called Crymostygius Thingvallensis found only in Thingvellir Lake and the surrounding fissures, such as Silfra. With regards to fish life, there are three different species of fish that live in the lake: Brown Trout, Arctic Char and Sticklebacks, however, only the Arctic Char visit the fissure; they are frequent visitors during mating season in August and September. Throughout the rest of the year, the only fish who live in the Silfra fissure are the Dwarf Char, a subspecies of the Arctic Char. These range in size from a few centimetres, to approximately 10cm maximum, and live down in the darker recesses near the rocks and as such are not often spotted by divers or snorkelers.
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How cold is the water in Silfra?
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The water temperature in Silfra is 2-4°Celsius all year around. This converts to 35-39°Fahrenheit.
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How far is it to Silfra from Reykjavik?
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It is about 60 km from Reykjavik to Silfra and it takes a little less than one hour to drive the distance by car, given the weather conditions are good. If you choose to drive to Silfra yourself and don‘t know the way, we recommend you to study the map before you hit the road. Silfra is located in Þingvellir National Park, which is a bit different from other national parks. At a point, when you turn into road 36, you will feel like you are driving into the middle of nowhere. Please do not turn around, just keep going straight until you see our company cars which are parked at the Silfra Meeting Point, you then drive a little further to parking lot P5 to park. If at anytime you feel lost please do not hesitate to call our office for help.
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Is there anything to see around Silfra?
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Silfra is located in Thingvellir National Park, one of the main sites of the Golden Circle. It is a stunningly beautiful area as well as being one of Iceland's most important historical sites. There are many walking trails around the park and close by Silfra, and many of the areas have information signs telling you about the historical & geological aspects of the area around Silfra and Thingvellir.
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What is the best time of year to dive Silfra?
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There is no best or worst time to dive Silfra. Every season and every weather has its advantages. A calm and overcast winter day will be amazing with beautiful reflections in Silfra´s water surface. A windy summer day with waves will cast sun ripples onto the Silfra bottom... a sight you will never forget. Generally in the summer, there are more snorkelers & divers at Silfra, so the winters are calmer, but winter surface conditions can also be more challenging with regard to weather and cold.
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