Fridheimar is a tomato farm, producing fruit all year ground in glasshouses that are heated using geothermal energy. It is perhaps not the first tourist attraction that you think of when planning a trip to Iceland but it is well worth a visit and it can be included on some tours of The Golden Circle.
It is a most remarkable horticultural venture, plants are grown under sodium lights for 17 hours a day in winter and 14 hours in summer. They have in the region of 10,000 plants in production at any one time and they remain productive for 9 months before replacing. They cultivate their own seedlings to be used as replacement plants.
Bees are imported from Holland to pollinate the plants. They have 600 bees and an individual bee can pollinate up to 2000 flowers a day. The bees must be replaced after 8 weeks.
No pesticides are used in the greenhouses. Fortunately there are not many natural diseases of tomato plants in Iceland. When problems arise they use biological control rather than chemicals, they import Mirid bugs to control pests.
There is a restaurant/café and gift shop where you can buy everything tomato. None of the production from Fridheimar is exported so if you want to try the fruits of their labour here is the place to do it. Lunch is served in the restaurant surrounded by tomato plants from 12.00 to 16.00.
They started breeding horses at Fridheimar in 1995 and there is now an equestrian centre on site. Icelandic horses are a hardy breed and you can see why as they a perfectly capable of surviving the Icelandic winter. The importation of horses into Iceland is not permitted so this is the breed that you will see on your travels round the country.
The Golden Circle is perhaps Icelands premier tourist attraction. It consists of route that will take you to Pingvellir (Thingvellir), Geysir and Gullfoss and makes for an excellent day trip from Reykjavik. You can do a self drive or join one of the many coach tours that leave the capital each day. I chose a tour with Reykjavik Excursions which included a pick up and drop off at my hotel. Tours generally leave around 9am and return late afternoon. For me this is a must do activity while in the country as you see so much in so short a time.
Pingvellir. In an anglicised form it wound be Thingvellir. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site a National Park and the site of the first democratic parliament which was formed here in 930. It is a beautiful, place quiet and peaceful despite all the tourists.
It is also on a tectonic plate boundary. Here the Eurasian plate and North American plate are moving away from each other creating the Mid Atlantic Rift Valley which is where you find the lakes and great fissures which open up as the plates move.
They have created a short path that runs alongside the edge of the North American plate which takes only a short while to complete. It also passes the site of the first parliament which is marked by a flagpole flying the Icelandic flag.
The edge of the North American plate
Geysir. The Geyser that named them all is in the Haukadlur geothermal region. Geysir used to erupt and send boiling water up to a height of 80m. Sadly it is now very much dormant and hasn’t erupted since 2014. This could change in the future as the area is geologically very active and earth movements could activate it again. However Strokkur is close by and erupts every 10-15 minutes or so. Reaching a height of 20m it may not be as high as Geysir but it is still very impressive and draws a big crowd.
Strokkur begins to erupt
The whole area around the geysers is geothermically active with pools and lots of vented steam. The wind chill up here was severe, down at minus 12 Celsius, so it was quite a contrast to see so much boiling water. As you walk around the area you can not help but ponder on the awesome forces at work beneath your feet.
There are plenty of refreshment and shopping options here, located just across the road from the geysers. There is also a petrol station and ample parking for coaches and cars.
Gullfoss. Only a short 15 minute drive from Geysir is the spectacular waterfall of Gullfoss.The name translates as golden falls in English and it is from this that itinerary is called The Golden Circle. Nothing really prepares you for the majestic site of the falls, in winter the spectacle is enhanced by the ice and snow. Gullfoss is a double drop waterfall with the Hvitá river cascading down a total of 32m.
There is a choice of walking routes to view the falls. The lower path descends down to the level of the falls by means of a set of stairs. If you don’t fancy the climb back to the top you can take the upper path which has a fantastic panoramic view of the falls.
In 1907 there was an attempt to buy the falls so that hydroelectric power could be generated. The farmer that owned them, Tōmas Tōmasson, replied that “I will not sell my friend.” Much later the falls were leased to investors but the farmers daughter, Sigriour, fought this walking back and forth to Reykjavik to argue her case in court. She worked tirelessly to save the falls and eventually the lease was revoked. There is a memorial to her close to the upper viewing area. To many she is regarded as Icelands first environmentalist
There is a small shop and café here and both are well stocked with refreshments and souvenirs.
The Golden Circle was a wonderful experience and the low temperatures of the day didn’t seem to matter. It’s a great way to see some of the natural beauty of this wonderful country and only a short drive from the capital.
An unusual name for a geothermal area but an apt description as I hope some of the upcoming photos will illustrate. A walkway has been made which circumvents the area and it takes about an hour to complete if you include the rather steep climb to the lookout which offers a stunning view of the whole area and the numerous steaming vents. It looks as if the area is a caldera from the collapse of an empty magma chamber but I have been unable to confirm this.
The last major eruption was in 2002 and it was big enough to cover the walkway with mud, pumice and ash to a depth of 5cm.
The mudpools here are much drier but they still can be seen bubbling away. They are very deceiving as they look dry but are still very hot.
Much of the area is covered in a low growing shrub which looks at first glance like heather which is found on British moorland. It is in-fact called prostrate kanuka. It grows best where the ground is a little cooler, in the hotter areas the vegetation is quite different. Thermal mosses are found which can tolerate the hot conditions. Ferns and club mosses, usually found in tropical regions, can also survive here because of the protected by the warmer conditions found here.
The entry fee for this geothermal wonder is only 8NZD (about £4.50). The area is administered by a charitable trust and team of volunteers run the shop and maintain the grounds. The official website is here
The area is not as active as 
