Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

On the south coast of Iceland, Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon is the island’s deepest lake. But that’s not what draws the crowds to this isolated spot. Vast lumps of ice float in the clear water, some as big as buildings, and create a scene that most people associate with the frozen Arctic.

The ice that floats in Jökulsárlón comes from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, an outlet of Vatnajökull. If you are lucky, you might hear the great crack of ice breaking off from this vast sheet during a boat trip on the water. Some visitors are surprised by how small the lagoon is, but it is constantly growing.

In fact, Jökulsárlón didn’t exist before 1930, and it has quadrupled in size over the last fifty years – unfortunately, this is a testament to the warming world. At the moment, the edge of the lagoon is less than a kilometre from the sea, but it creeps closer to Diamond Beach every year. Jökulsárlón has been the backdrop to Hollywood blockbusters, TV series and music videos.