Glacier Lagoon

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is a large glacial lake that sits south of Vatnajökull, Europe's largest glacier. Vatnajökull and its surrounding area, including Jökulsárlón, compose Iceland's largest national park: Vatnajökull National Park.

In 1930, the mighty Breidarmerkurjökull Glacier retreated back from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean carving into the soil beneath it and creating a depression. The melted glacier water then filled up the depression and the Jökulsárlón lagoon has been growing rapidly since then. As the ice melts, massive chunks break away from the ever-shrinking glacier tongue. In the last 50 years, Jökulsárlón has grown fourfold, making it now the deepest lake in all of Iceland.

Although Breidarmerkurjökull is visible from the lagoon’s shore, an adventurous Zodiac boat ride enables you to come up face to face with the glacier. On a Zodiac it is possible to cover large areas of the lagoon and get up close and personal with the glacier face. This is not possible on an amphibian boat.

Diamond Beach is the result of glacial ice breaking off into the Jökulsárlón lagoon. The huge chunks of glacial ice that collect in Jökulsárlón slowly makes their way out to sea, where they break up into thousands of smaller icebergs and wash up on the coast. The name ‘Diamond Beach’ comes from the stark contrast of the jet black sand with the white ice appearing like glistening gemstones.