Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon
South Iceland · Glacier lagoon
View floating icebergs where the glacier lagoon meets the coast.
- 1 hr visit
- 52 km from Höfn as the crow flies
Did you know?
The icebergs in Jökulsárlón break from Breiðamerkurjökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull. They drift across the lagoon towards the Atlantic, and many wash up on the black-sand beach nearby.
Source
An Icelandic lagoon plays the Arctic
Jökulsárlón’s floating ice appeared in the Arctic sequences of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
Jökulsárlón was used for Arctic scenes in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. A familiar stop beside Iceland’s Ring Road became part of a fictional adventure elsewhere. The drifting ice makes it easy to see how filmmakers could suggest a much more remote setting.
The lagoon has its own continuing story: icebergs break from Breiðamerkurjökull, float through the water and eventually move toward the Atlantic. From the shore, pick one shape and watch it for a while. A piece of natural scenery that seems fixed in a photograph is part of a moving landscape. View the ice from land; never step onto floating ice.
Further reading
- Diamond Beach | The Wonders of Jökulsárlón Glacier LagoonIceland Review · Guide to Jökulsárlón and adjoining Diamond Beach, where icebergs wash ashore on black sand.
- Visit Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon in South East IcelandIceland Review · Staff-written travel guide covering the lagoon's depth, size, access, seasons and film history.
