JÖKULSÁRLÓN
Jökulsárlón is a broad lagoon on the southeastern coast, where the nose of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier edges down to the sea. The lagoon formed after the glacier began receding during the 1940s and today presents a striking scene, filled by a mass of icebergs freshly broken off the glacier. With a deep, black-sand beach behind you and the white mass of Europe’s largest icecap, Vatnajökull, on the horizon, Jökulsárlón is a great spot to stretch your legs on the long drive from Vík to Höfn.
NEED TO KNOW
Visitor Centre: 478 2222 • www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is • www.jokulsarlon.is • Open Apr–Oct; call ahead to book a boat tour as the timings of the tours can vary
- All buses travelling along the south coast of Iceland stop at Jökulsárlón for around 30 minutes, which is long enough to take in the lagoon and walk down to the sea to look at the ice boulders.
- The café at the Visitor Centre opens from 9am to 7pm all year round. It serves inexpensive hot food, snacks and coffee. Waffles and seafood soup are specialties.
1. The Lagoon
Around 5 km (3 miles) across and fairly narrow, this is the deepest lagoon in Iceland. By contrast, its outflow, the Jökulsá, is the country’s shortest river.
2. The Beach
Translucent, weirdly shaped boulders of ice – the smaller, depleted remains of Jökulsárlón’s icebergs – wash downstream to the sea. There they get stranded on the black-sand beach, making for some evocative photographs.
3. Icebergs
The pale blue icebergs create a natural sculpture exhibition, constantly changing shape as they melt, breaking into smaller floes. Eventually they are small enough to float to the sea.
4. Vatnajökull
The lagoon is a good spot to get a feel for Vatnajökull’s vast size. Breiðamerkurjökull is 15 km (9 miles) across but even this is only a fraction of the massive white icefield before you (see Vatnajökull National Park).
5. Aquatic Life
Jökulsárlón’s cool, deep waters attract herring and trout, which in turn make it a good place to see seals – often spotted snoozing on ice floes . Porpoises and other small whales also visit on occasion.
6. Breiðárlón
For similar but more remote scenery, head to Breiðárlón, 6 km (4 miles) west along the highway, then 3 km (2 miles) north on a gravel road.
7. In the Movies
Movie buffs may have seen the area even before they visit as it has featured in two Bond films and a Batman film. It is also a popular place to shoot Icelandic TV commercials.
8. Birds
Bird lovers should look out for the ground-nesting Arctic terns and the bulkier brown Arctic skuas. Both tend to dive-bomb anything that gets too close to their nests.
9. Visitor Centre
Jökulsárlón’s small Visitor Centre has a café selling fast food and hot drinks, and a few shelves of souvenir postcards and T–shirts. Climb the black hillock out front for great views of the lagoon.
10. Boat Tour
For a chance to enter the maze of icebergs right up against the glacier snout, take a 30-minute amphibious boat tour from the Visitor Centre. With a bit of luck, you might also get close to the seals.
