Jökulsárlón
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is Jökulsárlón and what makes it special?
This is the largest and at the same time the deepest lake-lagoon in Iceland in the south of Vatnajökull National Park, where icebergs constantly break off from the Breidamerkurjökull glacier and float right in front of tourists' noses. The depth reaches 284 meters, so no one is attracted to swimming here.
Where did this lagoon come from?
It was washed not by nature from scratch, but by the retreat of the glacier: it began to melt at the end of the 19th century, and the lake was finally formed around 1934-35. Since the 1970s, it has quadrupled in size, so the glacier works tirelessly for the tourist industry.
How to get there?
Just along the Route 1 ring road that crosses the lagoon - there is a parking lot, you will not pass by. Excursion boats go out on the water all year round, with 60-70 thousand people riding them every year.
What to see nearby?
Across the road is the black beach of Eistri Fellsfjara, which tourists have nicknamed Diamond: on the black sand, fragments of ice removed from the lagoon glisten. The lagoon itself is home to seals, terns, and terns, which feast on herring and salmon.
Have I seen this place before?
It's quite possible: two James Bond films were filmed here (A View to Kill, Die But Not Now), as well as Batman: The Beginning and Lara Croft. Icelandic ice has long and confidently worked as an understudy in Hollywood.