The stunning Glacial Lagoon
The Glacial Lagoon – jökulsárlón in Icelandic – in the southeast corner of Iceland is one of the country’s famous places. And it is awe-inspiring, with massive icebergs floating around in the frigid water. In the distance, the massive Vatnajökull glacier looms. Distant booms sound when icebergs break off the glacier’s edge. It is how I would imagine how distant artillery fire would sound. I have been on the lagoon on a boat, which is well worth doing.
Subscribe to my free and exclusive newsletter for discount codes that will give you savings on 150 Iceland tours and travel services.
Subscribe to the Stuck in Iceland newsletterReceive exclusive promo codes for tours, car rental, camper van rental, and outdoor clothing rental. Get occasional updates about new content. I will never give your data to a third party without consent.
Please also check out my list of curated tours here in Iceland.
Thank you
Jon Heidar, Editor of Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine
Would I recommend visiting the lagoon? Well, the short answer is a resounding yes! Whenever I am in this remote part of Iceland, I stop there and watch the spectacle of the icebergs floating on the lagoon in awe. I have gone on a boat trip to the lagoon, and I just loved it, so that is something I would recommend doing.
Go on the ultimate road trip.
There are a few accommodations near the lagoon. Please note that the drive to the lagoon is a long one, 380 kilometers – 236 miles – no less. And in this way, you will drive across the scenic south coast where there are so many great places to visit. In many ways, it is the ultimate road trip. So rent a car and explore on your own.
Find a hotel near the Glacial Lagoon.
In the interface below, you will see the locations of available hotel rooms near the Glacial Lagoon.
Booking.com
Visit Diamond Beach
Iceland’s shortest glacial river runs off the lagoon and into the ocean. It brings with it blocks of ice which then washes ashore on the beach across the road. The interplay between sunlight, the water, and the ice has created one of the best places in Iceland for photography.
This beach on the Breiðamerkursandur desert is often called ‘Diamond Beach.’ The diamonds are the icebergs and pieces of ice that come onshore from the lagoon.
The connection between the Glacial Lagoon and climate disaster
If you have any doubt that humans are causing tremendous harm to the environment, visit the Glacial Lagoon and learn about its history. It has expanded dramatically as the glacier melted and receded over the past decades.
Vatnajökull ice cave tour – discover the Icelandic sapphire
Four years ago I published an article by the talented Russian photographer Olga Strakhova titled ‘The girl with Iceland tattoo‘. The article was about her first three tours to Iceland. She came so smitten with Iceland that she was determined to move here. I am…
Visit Diamond Beach in iceland – A Paradise for Photographers
Words and pictures from the Diamond Beach in Iceland which is also known as Breidamerkursandur are by Martin Schulz. He is from Germany and has been addicted to Iceland since 2007. Martin has visited Iceland twelve times and explored it from the shore up to the highland…
Jokulsarlon in Iceland is Ground Zero for Global Climate Change
We don´t like tourist traps. One idea for a name or a tagline for this blog was actually “Declaring war on the Golden Circle” For those who don´t know, the Golden Circle is a well trodden tourist route covering the Thingvellir National Park, the waterfall…
How to get to the Glacial Lagoon?
From Reykjavik, rent a car and drive for 380 KM on highway 1 east.