Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón (literal translation – glacial river lagoon) is Iceland’s top contender for the most famous glacier lagoon title. It is located in the southeast, conveniently on the Ring Road, between the Skaftafell Nature Reserve and Höfn.
The glacier lagoon itself is a lake that is filled with meltwater, that is originating from Breiðamerkurjökull, a tongue of Europe’s largest ice cap, Vatnajökull. The lake itself was formed around 1948 and its size is growing exponentially each year, mostly due to the accelerating global warming phenomenon. For example, in 1975 the size was half of the current surface and since Breiðamerkurjökull is shrinking at a dramatic rate it is more than likely that this process will not be reversed. The lagoon is the deepest one in the whole country (248 meters or 814 feet at the deepest point) and according to geologists, originally there was a fjord, where currently the water resides.
The beauty of the area has been discovered in 1985 by Hollywood producers and parts of the James Bond movie, “A View to a Kill” were filmed here. However, we can also remember this natural gem from other movies such as “Die Another Day”, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Batman Begins. Once the audience discovered this location, both the locals and the visitors enjoyed boat tours across the lake. Since 1985 almost a million people took part in this activity, according to the biggest tour operator at the lagoon.
As for the local fauna, seals gather in large numbers during the winter months, since the lake has a rich aquatic life, herring, trout, salmon, krill and other fish can be found here. Many bird species call the lake their home as well, one should be always careful with the arctic skua species since they are not afraid of human beings and are extremely protective of their nesting areas.
Since it is very important to protect this delicate region, the Vatnajökull National Park was formed in 2008 and currently, it is the second-largest one in Europe, covering approximately 14% of Iceland.
If you walk a few minutes to the coastline you arrive at the breathtaking Diamond Beach. The explanation of the name is quite simple actually, as icebergs break off the glacier, they float to the ocean on Jökulsá river and eventually after a certain amount of time they are carried back to the black sand beach on the back of the waves. When the weather is sunny enough, these crystal-clear pieces of ice tend to glisten like gemstones or diamonds.
When you visit the Diamond Beach there are a few details you should keep in mind. Climbing on the icebergs is rather dangerous, not only because they are slippery and have sharp edges, but because they often float to the open ocean surface and once you end up in this situation, hypothermia and other injuries are almost guaranteed.
