Jökulsarlon

Jokulsarlon: Iceland’s Glacial Lagoon

The lagoon did not exist until the 1930s. Before Vatnajokull, Europe’s largest glacier, began retreating, this was solid ice. As the glacier pulled back, it left a deepening basin that filled with meltwater, and icebergs calved from the glacier face have been drifting out to sea ever since. The lagoon is roughly 80 years old. The icebergs floating in it are up to a thousand years old. That tension between the new lake and the ancient ice is the strange quality that makes Jokulsarlon unlike any other place in Iceland.

The lagoon sits on Route 1 about 375 kilometres east of Reykjavik and 80 kilometres west of Hofn. By car from Reykjavik it’s a 4.5 to 5-hour drive. There is no public bus that stops reliably here; organised day tours from Reykjavik cover 12 or more hours and give you perhaps 90 minutes at the lagoon. Renting a car for two or three days on the south coast is significantly better. You can leave before dawn, arrive as the light hits the ice, and stay as long as the afternoon light holds.

What You See

The icebergs are mostly white or blue-white. When one rolls and exposes its compressed underside, the colour shifts to a translucent, almost electric blue that cameras consistently fail to render accurately. If you see it in person, you understand immediately why people keep trying to photograph it.

The glacial outlet passes under Route 1 via a bridge, and the icebergs drift slowly out to the North Atlantic. On the ocean side of the road, Diamond Beach is the black sand shore where pieces of ice wash back in and melt on the volcanic black. Walking among blocks of clear ice on black sand with the Atlantic behind you is one of those places that seems staged for effect and isn’t.

Boat Tours

Amphibious boat tours run from May through October. A 40-minute tour costs around ISK 9,900 (roughly EUR 65) per adult. You get close to the icebergs and can touch them. The tours are worth doing, particularly if you want to understand the scale of the larger bergs, which look smaller from the shoreline than they are. Book in advance in summer.

Glacier Hiking

The nearest accessible glacier tongue for hiking is Svinafellsjokull at Skaftafell, about 90 kilometres west. Guided ice walks start at around ISK 10,000 and last 2-3 hours; crampons and ice axe are provided. The glacier surface is otherworldly up close: crevasses, blue meltwater channels, ice formations you don’t have language for. Worth doing if you’re passing through and have a half-day free.

Getting There and Staying

There is no reason to rush through the drive from Reykjavik. The south coast between Vik and the lagoon passes Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss waterfalls, the black sand beaches at Reynisfjara (strong rogue waves, stay behind the safety rope), and a landscape that becomes progressively more volcanic and austere as you head east. Allow two full days for this section of road.

Hofn, 80 kilometres east of the lagoon, is the best base: a fishing town of about 2,000 people with a reasonable selection of guesthouses and the best restaurant in the area. Hofn is known for langoustine (Icelandic lobster), and Pakkhus Restaurant is the standard recommendation for good reason. The langoustine soup and grilled tails are both excellent; expect ISK 3,000-5,000 for a main course.

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon is positioned immediately adjacent to the lagoon for maximum convenience. The rooms are functional hotel standard, the location is unbeatable if you want to see the ice at sunrise before day-tour coaches arrive. Rates from around ISK 40,000-60,000 per night depending on season.

Practical Notes

The ice colour changes with weather and time of day. Overcast light is actually better than direct sun for the blues. Dawn and dusk, when the light is low and warm, produce the most photographable conditions.

Northern Lights season runs September through March; the lagoon at night with aurora overhead is a combination that produces the most intense photography of anyone’s Iceland trip. Book the hotel in advance if you’re visiting in October or November, when the aurora coincides with tolerable road conditions.

Icelandic weather is famously indeterminate. A forecast for rain does not mean it will rain the whole day; clear mornings frequently turn overcast. Accept the variability rather than trying to schedule around it, and the coast becomes more enjoyable.