Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

About the place

Jökulsárlón, meaning ‘glacial river lagoon’ in Icelandic, is a vast glacial lake located to the south of Vatnajökull National Park. It is one of Iceland's most popular sites. Nestling at the foot of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, the lake was formed when the glacier began to retreat from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Since then, it has expanded at varying rates as the glacier has melted, and now covers an area of around 18 km², with the glacier front located about 8 kilometers from the ocean.

The Jökulsárlón lagoon is an extraordinary place not to be missed, with its waters filled with icebergs that regularly break off from the immense glacier. The lake offers an ever-changing natural spectacle of ice sculptures, with the impressive ice cap of Vatnajökull as a backdrop. The icebergs can be seen in two different colours: milky white and bright blue, depending on the air trapped in the ice and the play of light between the ice crystals.