South Iceland · Iceland
Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón is Iceland's most famous glacial lagoon — a vast, deep lake filled with drifting luminous blue icebergs calved from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, located just off the Ring Road.
About Jökulsárlón
Jökulsárlón is Iceland's most famous glacial lagoon — a vast, deep lake filled with drifting luminous blue icebergs calved from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, located just off the Ring Road.
History & Background
The lagoon only began forming in the 1930s as the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier started retreating due to climate change. Before 1935 the glacier reached all the way to the sea. Today the lagoon is Iceland's deepest lake at over 200 meters deep and is growing rapidly as the glacier continues to melt. The icebergs drift slowly to the sea via a short river and wash ashore on the nearby Diamond Beach. Jökulsárlón has featured in two James Bond films — 'A View to a Kill' (1985) and 'Die Another Day' (2002).
Key Facts
- ✔Iceland's deepest lake at over 200 meters
- ✔Formed in the 1930s as Breiðamerkurjökull glacier retreated
- ✔Featured in two James Bond films
- ✔The lagoon doubles in size approximately every decade
- ✔Icebergs wash ashore at Diamond Beach nearby
