Jökulsarlon Lagoon is a world famous glacial lagoon with unique blue waters and magnificent icebergs. It is the deepest lake in Iceland and home to icebergs that break off the Breidamerkurjökull glacier and swim in its cold waters.
The Jökulsarlon lagoon is unmissable as its calm blue waters are littered with huge icebergs that have broken off from the edge of the Breidamerkurjökull glacier. This lagoon flows out into a narrow gate leading into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind an amazing sight of huge chunks of ice on a black sandy beach.
Located near the top of the Breidamerkurjökull glacier, the lagoon was formed when the glacier began to recede from the Atlantic coast. Over time, it expanded due to the melting of ice. Currently, the lake is about 8 km from the ocean and covers an area of about 18 km2. In 2009 it became the deepest lake in Iceland, exceeding 284 meters in height as the glacier continues to recede. Over the past decades, the size of the lake has quadrupled.
The lagoon can be seen from Highway 1 between Höfn and Skaftafell and is an impressive view of the “ghostly procession of luminous blue icebergs”.
Jökulsarlon Lagoon has become a popular filming location for Hollywood films such as A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Batman Begins, as well as reality television Show “Amazing Race”. In 1991, Iceland issued a postage stamp depicting Jökulsarlon with a face value of 26 crowns.
However, the tongue of the Breidamerkurjokull glacier remains the most significant attraction for tourists.