Beautiful Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is one of the most famous places to visit in Iceland. Large icebergs break off from the nearby Vatnajökull Glacier and float majestically through the lagoon before drifting out to sea.
We had booked two nights accommodation near here so that we had a full day to explore this region and I had pre-booked a zodiac boat tour on the Lagoon as well. We woke up late that morning after a full day the day before and at 8.40 am I was horrified to read on my schedule that I had booked the 9 am boat tour, not the 9 pm like I’d thought 🤦♀️
A quick phone call yielded no satisfactory outcome, they were fully booked all day. We decided to visit the smaller Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon to try our luck.
Vatnajökull Glacier was visible almost as soon as we hit the road and became ever more impressive the closer we got. We found the small office and managed to snag a spot on the next boat!
Suitably clad in our fashionable attire (actually quite warm today with a balmy 25 C) we headed out on the water with eight other intrepid travellers for a 45 minute cruise.
The silence was surreal, the only sound an occasional scraping and turning of the icebergs.
Both this lagoon and the larger Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon have been formed as meltwater increases and glaciers retreat. They will in turn increase in size across the landscape as the glacier recedes.
We had lunch afterwards (more delicious tomato soup) and then drove a little further on to Jökulsárlón. Larger it was but a lot busier also, boats zipping off in all directions. The unique feature of this lagoon is the very short river Jökulsá which connects the lagoon to the sea carrying icebergs along the way. It was a fascinating sight and we spent some time watching them drift silently by.
A short walk under the bridge takes you to Diamond Beach, where pieces of ice wash up on the black sand and shine like ‘diamonds.’ We had great fun here watching people try and beat the waves (no sneaker waves here but just as wet) for the perfect photo opportunity.
On the way home, we detoured up a narrow gravel road and found a lovely walk to the base of the Kvíárjökull glacial finger and its small lake. We were the only ones here and enjoyed the solitude for an hour or so before heading back to the hotel, happy with our ‘glacial day.’
