Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is a tremendous spectacle that you simply’ll need to expertise in your journey to Iceland. It’s a 5-hour drive (with out stops) from Reykjavik however well worth the journey and might be mixed with a couple of nights away from the capital as there are numerous different sights alongside Iceland’s south coast. You will see that it by driving alongside the nation’s predominant ring Route 1 ring highway, between Höfn and Skaftafell – a stunning drive with beautiful views of waterfalls and glaciers en route.
Located on the sting of the Vatnajökull Nationwide Park in southeastern Iceland, the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is the place the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, certainly one of thirty outlet glaciers from the Vatnajökull ice cap, makes its manner in direction of the ocean. There may be ample free parking within the neighborhood of the lagoon, plus a carpark near the seashore to the south of Route 1.
The glacier as soon as reached the Atlantic Ocean however has since receded by about 5 miles, leaving a lake between the glacier snout and the ocean. For the reason that Nineteen Seventies, the scale of the lake is claimed to have elevated four-fold in dimension and is now regarded as the deepest lake in Iceland.
My images right here don’t do it justice however it’s such an iconic, unimaginable view that the placement has been used for motion scenes in two James Bond motion pictures (A View to a Kill and Die One other Day), in addition to in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Batman Begins. Eager followers of the US TV collection Wonderful Race might also recognise it.
It’s right here that Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier meets the water and calves. Calving is a means of glacial ablation (melting) which sees plenty of ice break off from the glacier and enter the water. These icebergs might be of various dimension and float within the lagoon earlier than ultimately melting utterly throughout the lake or making their manner out in direction of the Atlantic.
Had we extra time, we’d have taken one of many cruises on the lagoon however after our Katla ice cave tour and snowmobiling journey on Mýrdalsjökull, sadly there simply weren’t sufficient hours left within the day. You’ll be able to take a cruise on a big amphibian boat or, for an expertise that lets you get even nearer to the towering ice bergs, experience on smaller rib boats (zodiac excursions). If, like us, you’re unable to suit this into your schedule, you’ll be able to nonetheless benefit from the scene from the water’s edge.
This breathtaking lagoon can also be a wealthy sea habitat for gray seals. Typically they are often seen on the resting on the floating icebergs however maintain your eyes additionally on the lake as there’s an excellent probability you’ll see some bobbing round towards a backdrop of superb Arctic surroundings.
Seals can apparently additionally typically be seen on Diamond Seaside, altough none had been current on the time of our go to. Diamond Seaside is only a quick 5-minute stroll from the lagoon alongside a path that runs underneath the Route 1 bridge. It’s the place the icebergs that float from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon are washed again onto the shore, after making their strategy to the ocean.
In fact, having skilled extra melting, they are typically a lot smaller by the point they’re washed up onto the seashore.
However, all this glacier ice scattered throughout the shorline, battered by the waves from the ocean, is in itself fairly a sight.
Ice with a excessive bubble content material tends to be fairly white in color and translucent…
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…while ice with a low air content material tends to be crystal clear – nearly glowing like jewels within the sand – therefore the title Diamond Seaside.
These clear chunks of ice, without end weathered by the ocean’s ebbing tide, are actually fairly a sight, notably when the sunshine catches them.
Their glassy texture contrasts fantastically with the seashore’s black volcanic sand.
When you can, ensure you embody Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Seaside in your Iceland itinerary to see Mom Nature at her most interesting. It’s a big drive to get there, but it surely’s a magical place that makes it greater than well worth the effort.
My advice can be to not try and do the journey as a day journey from Reykjavik however as a substitute to take a couple of days travelling alongside the south coast as there’s a lot to see on this a part of Iceland.
Planning a visit to Iceland your self? You’ll be able to watch a video from our journey to Iceland right here. You’ll see footage from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Seaside between 4m 59s and 5m 12s:
Disclosure: Our journey to Iceland was additionally sponsored by Helly Hansen.
