Iceland's first protected area was established in 1929 when Þingvellir National Park was designated a "national sanctuary". Today, Þingvellir is a protected national shrine.

Along with Þingvellir there are 115 protected areas in Iceland. Together they cover 26.100 km2 which is 22% of the country´s area. In addition, Marimo, or Lake balls, are protected - together with 31 species of plants and a mineral, the stalactite. Marimo is growing form of the algae Cladophora aegagropila. 

National Parks and other protected areas

Three national parks have been established in Iceland; Þingvellir national park that was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2004, Snæfellsjökull National Park and Vatnajökull National Park which is also the largest national park in Europe and was declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 2019. 

Other Icelandic protected areas consist of nature reserves, natural monuments, habitat protection areas and country parks. All together, they contribute to safeguarding important wildlife, stunning landscapes, geological formations, ecosystem services and outdoor recreation.

Popular attractions

Many protected areas are popular tourist attractions as they are one of the main natural treasures of Iceland. Tourists are encouraged to visit accessible protected areas and enjoy what they have to offer while complying with the rules that apply to these areas. Visiting the protected areas offers a unique opportunity to experience the variety of the Icelandic wonders of nature such as wilderness, interplay between the forces of glaciers and volcanic activity, powerful waterfalls and dramatic canyons, geological formations, reindeer grazing grounds and habitats for birds and other wildlife.

Management for today and tomorrow

Umhverfisstofnun, the Environment Agency of Iceland, is responsible for the daily operations of most of the protected areas. This is done in cooperation with local authorities and committees.

Each protected area has its own conservation agreement with specific rules that aim to maintain the conservation value of each area. By declaring an area protected we safeguard them for future generations to enjoy. 

Please find more information on the Umhverfisstofnun, Environment Agency of Iceland, website.