Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon is ground zero for climate change

Glacial Lagoon – Jökulsárlón – is one of Iceland’s places that is not to be missed. Literally, ‘Jökulsárlón’ is translated as ‘Glacial River Lagoon’ and is located on the southeast of Iceland. It is an imposing place where huge icebergs float on a vast glacial lagoon on the edge of the Vatnajökull glacier. Whenever I visit the South of Iceland, I get the urge to drive out there, even if it takes some 4-5 hours of non-stop driving. If you share the same desire, here is a complete trip itinerary for the South Coast of Iceland.

Drive past the home of the Giant of the South on your way to the Jökulsárlón glacial Lagoon

The drive from Reykjavik is pretty cool. If you are lucky you will catch a glimpse of the Westmann islands a short drive from Reykjavik. The drive will take you through fertile farmland beneath the Eyjafjöll mountain range. You will past the photogenic waterfalls: Seljalandsfoss, Gljúfrabúi, Skógafoss and my personal favorite: Kvernufoss.

Drive past Eyjafjallajokull and the monstrous volcano Katla in the Myrdalsjokull glacier. Make sure you stop at the coolest beach in Iceland, Reynisfjara beach which fetures the famous Reynisdrangar basalt sea stacks. This is just west of the village of Vík. There you can visit the wonderful Lava Show, and go paragliding.

The giant of the south

Then you reach the Vatnajokull glacier and you cross the bridges over the volatile glacial rivers that flow from the glacier. One place to stop at is the picturesque Skaftafell National Park. If you stop there, I would definately take the hike up to the lovely Svartifoss waterfall.  On the way you will drive past one of my favorite mountains which is Lómagnúpur which sits south of the Vatnajokull. It´s legendary inhabitant is the Giant of the South which is featured in Icleand´s coat of arms.

Are we there yet?

Close to the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon is another beautiful lagoon, called Fjallsárlón. I have had the experience of going out on a boat there and that was simply fantastic. On the drive you will have highly impressive views of Vatnajökull glacier, although it is hard to overstate how huge and majestic that glacier is.

You don´t see Jökulsárlón  until you pull up to the parking lot. Then, the stunning vista of massive icebergs is floating around in the frigid lagoon is revealed. The size of the icebergs is difficult to convey in a blog post, some of them are the size of apartment blocks. The variety of the shapes  of the icebergs is also mind boggling. Some look like cathedrals, others looks like houses and I can tell you I have seen a few dinosaurs and the creature from Cloverfield there.

And in the background looms the massive Breidamerkurjökull glacier which sticks out of the Vatnajokull glacier like a tongue and feeds into the lagoon. Occasionally a cracking noise rings out when icebergs break off from the glacier. It sounds like distant artillery fire.No wonder this place has been in featured in several Hollywood movies and countless TV ads.

The Glacial Lagoon is a perfect place for great snaps

Tour operators offer boat tours, either on zodiac boats or big amphibious “wheeled boats”  Getting on a boat trip on the lagoon is totally worth it, especially if you are looking to get great photographs. Talking of great photographs,  make sure you go down to the beach accross the road where the short river from the lagoon meets the sea.

The bridge at the edge of Iceland

This is where the so called Diamond Beach is, a favorite spot for photographers. Stranded icebergs make for great motives and there is just something awesome experiencing the waves of the North Atlantic crashing on the beach with those icebergs floating around.. In Icelandic this area is known as Breiðamerkursandur. However, By the way, the river that runs to the sea from the Glacial Lagoon river is the shortest river in Iceland. Both the lagoon and the river is a rich hunting ground for seals. I also love the bridge across the river. When you cross it, you get the feeling you are truly on your way to the edge of the world. Well, you are just heading to the East of Iceland but you will know what I mean when you get there. Beyond, lies the beauty of the South-East Iceland where you will find amazingly beautiful landscapes.

So why do you call it “Ground Zero for Global Climate Change?

So yes, Jökulsárlón is a fantastic place to visit, the drive there is not that bad either, the icebergs look really cool, you can take a lot of great pictures, you get to go on a boat ride if you want to, you can buy waffles and souvenirs at the coffee shop and so on But that isn´t the real significance of this place. This lagoon didn´t really exist until the nineteen forties when the climate started to get warmer and the lagoon has been increasing in size fast since then. When the first settlers arrived in the 9th century (or earlier) the climate was a lot warmer and Vatnajokull glacier was a lot smaller than it is today. For example, Breidamerkjökull glacier was about 20KM further north from it´s current location.

From Little Shire to the Waste Land

However, disaster struck Iceland in the 16th century . This is when the so called mini ice-age started and lasted for three centuries. This meant that glaciers advanced, ravaging their neighbourhood. Famine, bitter cold and disease was the lot of the Icelandic people. Breidamerkurjokull reached the edge of the sea. To top it all off, in 1362 there was a massive volcanic eruption at Hnappafell, a peak that used to be on Vatnajökull glacier. The whole peak exploded and the countryside to the south was laid waste. It was so bad that still to this day, the area is known as Öræfi or literally ‘The Waste Land.’ Before the eruption it was called ‘Little Shire’ or Litla Hérað. Another eruption in Vatnajökull glacier in 1722 did nothing to improve things.

The Glacial Lagoon is a canary in the coal mine

But it has gotten a lot warmer since the little ice age. Indeed, the lagoon is a perfect bellwether for the climate change we are experiencing. In 1975 the lagoon was about 8km2 but it is currently nine time larger (18km2). Something to think about when you visit this really cool place at the edge of Iceland. One day it will be a large fjord. And we probably will have a build a much bigger bridge. 

How to get to the Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon

Just drive on Highway 1 and head due east from Reykjavik. It is the ultimate road trip in Iceland.

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