Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland, on the borders of Vatnajökull National Park.
Jökulsárlón (literally "glacial river lagoon") is a large glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland, on the borders of Vatnajökull National Park.
Situated at the head of Breiðamerkurjökull, it evolved into a lagoon after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake has grown since then at varying rates because of melting of the Icelandic glaciers.
The lagoon now stands 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) away from the ocean's edge and covers an area of about 18 km2 (6.9 sq mi). It recently became the deepest lake in Iceland at over 248 metres (814 ft) depth as glacial retreat extended its boundaries. The size of the lagoon has increased fourfold since the 1970s. It is considered as one of the natural wonders of Iceland.
The lagoon can be seen along Route 1 between Höfn and Skaftafell. It presents a picturesque parade termed as “A ghostly procession of luminous blue ice-bergs through the 17 km2 (6.6 sq mi) (18 km2 (6.9 sq mi) as reported in other sources) Jokulsarlon Lagoon”.
Jökulsárlón has been a setting for four Hollywood movies -- A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Tomb Raider and Batman Begins -- in addition to the reality-TV series Amazing Race.[3][6] A postage stamp depicting Jökulsárlón was issued in 1991 with a face value of 26 krónur.
The tongue of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier is a major attraction for tourists. Tour operators conduct snowmobiles and jeep tours to visit the glacier along the winding iceberg studded Jökulsárlón Lagoon. The base station for visits to the area is at Joklasel, which is approached from Hofn. It is termed as Tourist Conveyor belt
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With its enormous and ancient icebergs breaking off from Vatnajökull glacier, this natural wonder of Iceland is a sight you absolutely cannot miss.
ReplyDeleteThe lagoon produces a feeling of incredible tranquility as the 1000-1500 year old ice silently drifts into the lake and slowly melts away. The lagoon covers 18 square kilometres (7 square miles) and reaches more than 248 metres (814 ft) at its deepest point. You may recognize the lagoon from scenes in Batman Begins, Tomb Raider and two James Bond movies.
We highly recommend you take a boat ride on the lagoon to see the icebergs up close. It is best to book the ride beforehand due to it possibly becoming sold out. Please follow the link below to book your spot on the boat.