Exploring Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Fellsfjara in Iceland
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/4, 1/800 s)
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Without fail, you will always find the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon on everyone’s must do lists when visiting Iceland. It is a very unique place where blue and turquoise glaciers of all sizes wash into this small bay and back out into the Atlantic at will.
The lagoon is part of the Vatnajökull National Park and the ice that occupies the lake are from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. Quite alarmingly, the lake housing these small icebergs has grown fourfold since the 1970s and the bay is one of the deepest in Iceland at over 284 meters deep. Unfortunately, global warming is the culprit for such observations. This probably should make seeing the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon a higher priority during your visit.
Also nearby is Fellsfjara beach, where you can see many of these clear icebergs dotted on the black sand beach. Fellsfjara beach is also known as ‘Diamond Beach’. In my own opinion, I find the name Diamond Beach to be trashy; a name given to the beach by tourists which I think cheapens the experience of it. That’s just me so take that for what it’s worth. I will refer to this beach as Fellsfjara throughout the remainder of this post.
Check out my drone video of Iceland below!
How to get to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Fellsfjara
You can find the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Fellsfjara on the South Coast of Iceland. To get to Iceland, just take a flight to the capital city of Reykjavik (Airport Code: RKV). Many operators fly there, perhaps the most popular being IcelandAir.
(Side note: My first time taking IcelandAir to Reykjavik from when I lived in Washington DC, I remember them dimming the cabin lighting and the remaining light above the airplane aisle were hues of green, purple, and white that were gently flickering throughout the cabin. This was to mimic the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, of which seeing in Iceland is famous for. I thought it was such a cool, subtle design detail from the airline).
Once you have landed at Reykjavik airport, you can take the Flybus from Reykjavik Excursions or the Gray Line bus to the Reykjavik City Center. (If you are taking the bus back to the airport, the Flybus from Reykjavik Excursions also includes transport from your hotel to the Reykjavik bus terminal, that then departs for the airport).
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland (ISO 400, 24 mm, f/8, 1/800 s)
Now if you have rental a car, you can just drive from the airport to Jökulsárlón in just a matter of a few hours. However, most people book South Coast day tours that cover places like Jökulsárlón and Fellsfjara. Sometimes these tours can go for three days, depending on what you book. For example, Reykjavik Excursions does any length from 1-3 days on Iceland’s South Coast.
Personally, the first time I went to Iceland, I did one of these tours which was pretty decent. The next two times I went to Iceland, I rented a car and found that to be much more enjoyable. This is because we were able to see places like Jökulsárlón during non-peak times, which made the experience much more memorable.
Also, Fellsfjara is just a short 2 minute walk from the parking lot of Jökulsárlón.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland (ISO 400, 24 mm, f/8, 1/1000 s)
If you like some of my photos that you have come across, just know that I have many prints showcasing a variety of landscapes, including Iceland, available for purchase below! (Sold as Posters, Canvas, or in Metal-Frames and Wooden-Frames).
If you plan to be in Iceland for awhile longer than just a weekend and you are curious on what else Iceland can offer, can also check out my blog posts about other Icelandic regions and destinations:
Reykjavik, Iceland - Let's go to Iceland: what to see in Reykjavik
The South Coast
Eastern Iceland - The EPIC Iceland Road Trip: Eastern Iceland (Part IV)
Northern Iceland - The EPIC Iceland Road Trip: Northern Iceland (Part V)
Snaefellsnes Peninsula - The EPIC Iceland Road Trip: The Snaefellsnes Peninsula (Part VI)
The Waterfalls of Iceland - The Most Epic Waterfalls of Iceland
The Lighthouses of Iceland - The Lighthouses of Iceland
It will be very obviously once you arrive at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon as you will cross a bridge (if coming from Reykjavik) whereby the glaciers pass underneath. Immediately after this bridge, you will see parking to your left with PLENTY of cars if you come during peak times.
Park here and you will see bathroom facilities as well as small shops with souvenirs and some food stalls. You can also find a tour operator or two which can take you on boat trips of the lagoon. I haven’t done this myself but I imagine you can book a same day boat trip upon arrival.
The formation of the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is the result of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier receeding further inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Due to glacial melt, the size of the lagoon has increased year over year and the head of the glacier is now 5 miles away from the coastline.
Given how surreal the landscape is, with the clear and blue glaciers the sizes of footballs to huge cars, the whole area makes for an excellent movie backdrop. The films Batman Begins as well as Tomb Raider and Die Another Day have been filmed on location.
Fellsfjara, Iceland (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/22, 1/4 s)
As I mentioned before, Fellsfjara is a short 2 minute walk from Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, simply walk towards the coastline, underneath the road bridge. There is also parking in this area as well.
Depending on the tides and the current, you will find just a few to many little icebergs on the beach.
My recommendation when visiting Fellsfjara is to get there early! By early I mean right after sunrise. This is because there will be minimal people around and as far as photographic composition, the morning light is such a great contrast to the cold colors of the beach landscape and the black sand itself.
I can say that up until now, I still have not managed to perfectly capture one of these icebergs during sunrise. I hope to return so that I can get another crack at it.
Side Note: As a drone flyer, I try to make sure I am always compliant with drone laws. I applied for a PERMIT to fly at the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Fellsfjara from the Vatnajökull National Park authority. They granted my permit to fly my drone before 9am and after 6pm on site for two days. They did say to not fly if birds were nesting and to my bad luck, the Arctic Tern was in fact nesting in the area so I didn’t fly. I communicated this to the authorities and they gave me a new permit for a few days later just in case the birds were not there anymore. Sadly they were still there so I did not fly.
There are NO DRONE signs in the area of Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon as well. With a permit, you are allowed to fly, however as the national park authority said to me ‘What you say to other people who see you flying is up to you’. I took this as, people will probably think you are being disrespectful by flying your drone and you can decide whether you want to explain your purpose for flying to others or not. Food for thought!
