Family-Friendly Activities Around Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Iceland couldn’t have been better named: it is a land where you’ll often see ice, even if you visit in summer. An estimated 11% of the country is covered in the white stuff, so it’s hard to miss, especially if you’re travelling through the south of the country. That’s where you’ll find Vatnajökull glacier, the subject of this article. You’ll get a great view of it from Route 1, Iceland’s ring road, as you drive to and from Fjallsárlón lagoon. But trust us, you’ll want to get out of the car and take a closer look.

Iceland is known for its clean air, good drinking water, geothermal pools, welcoming residents and lastly but not least breathtaking landscapes. The country’s iconic spots, such as glaciers, waterfalls, and black sand beaches, attract thousands of visitors every year especially in the south of Iceland. With the increasing number of tourists, managing parking at these nature attractions can be confusing. Here’s an overview of what you can expect when parking at some of Iceland’s most visited natural wonders, including fees and free parking spots on the Ring Road.

Nestled within the breathtaking landscapes of Iceland you will find Fjallsarlon glacier lagoon, the natural landscape is like something out of a movie. That’s the main reason filmmakers are drawn to Fjallsarlon, the lagoon is slowly gaining popularity as a filming location for both movies and music videos.

In Iceland a glacier lagoon boat tour is an absolute must do experience. Boat tours can be booked in Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and in Fjallsárlón iceberg lagoon. The main reason many people visit Iceland is because a glacier lagoon boat tour is on their bucket list and therefore choose Iceland as their destination.

Glacier lagoons are somewhat like out of a dream or another world. A valid reason to travel to Iceland is to experience something completely new and sailing on a boat next to icebergs will guarantee that wonderful feeling. There are not many places on earth that offer glacier lagoon boat tours in unspoiled nature.

The Icelandic horse is the original breed that the first inhabitants, vikings of Iceland brought with them in the early settlement of Iceland in 874. Many believe that the settlers picked out the very best livestock possible to transfer oversea when they relocated to a land with such harsh weather conditions. It is also believed that once livestock had been established in Iceland that the settlers that followed soon ceased bringing livestock with them and simply purchased what they needed from previous settlers.

Fjallsárlón or Fjallsarlon is actually a very young natural phenomenon and does not have a long history in terms of being a lagoon. Here is a short history lesson on this area and facts about Fjallsarlon.

When Iceland settlement started in 874 it was said that the land was all grown with trees between the ocean and the mountains. The glaciers in Iceland were at the time also much smaller than they are today. During the first centuries after Iceland’s settlement there were 3 big farms in the area of Breiðamerkursandur the area where you now have Fjallsarlon and Jokulsarlon. Neither lagoon existed. But in the area was a big forest called Breiðamörk (Breidamork). It means broad forest.
The farm on the east side of this area was called Fell, on the west side the farm was called Fjall, and in the middle was the third farm with same name as the forest and called Breiðamörk.

Ice caves in Iceland and beyond are one of the most incredible sights nature can offer us. They are scattered across the planet but Iceland, thanks to its abundance of glaciers, is blessed with many of them.

Iceland’s home to more than 250 named glaciers, including Vatnajökull, its largest glacier which covers around 10% of the country. They encompass a plethora of types, such as ice caps, outlet glaciers and ice accumulation on mountains.

If you’re planning to do a road trip in Iceland, it’s highly likely you’ll find yourself driving through the scenic south region. In that case, you’ll want to spend some time on Iceland’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull – or its outlet glaciers – and experience at least one glacier lagoon. Fjallsárlón is a great choice if so, a tranquil lagoon with a striking backdrop of glacial ice. Let’s take a look at what it’s like to go there at different times of the year and what you should expect.

In Iceland we have many glaciers, hence the name “Iceland”. The largest glacier in Europe is Vatnajokull Glacier that spreads out to South and Southeast Iceland covering about 8% of Iceland’s landmass. A few decades ago, glacier lagoons started forming at the foot of the glaciers. The most famous ones are Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Breiðárlón Glacier lagoon. Fjallsárlón is a relatively young lagoon, it started forming after 1950 and has been growing ever since. The formation of Fjallsarlon presented local friends with an opportunity to start a tour operator company in this marvelous spot of nature. At Fjallsárlón ice lagoon you will find our GLACIER BOAT TOUR COMPANY. We have been operating zodiac boat tours since 2013. In the beginning we only had a trailer that we were operating tours from with no real facilities in place.

If you’ve been looking into a trip to Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon, you’ll have most likely come across neighbouring lagoon Jökulsárlón. They’re both spectacular glacial lagoons and popular with international tourists as well as locals. Located just a fifteen-minute drive from each other, it’s advisable to visit both. Let’s find out more about the larger of the two, Jökulsárlón here with our ultimate guide.

After a boat trip on the Fjallsárlón iceberg lagoon or glacier hike on Fjallsjökull Glacier, visitors will most likely to Fjallsárlón are likely to be thinking about food. Though the area around Fjallsárlón is relatively sparsely populated, there are a number of options when it comes to eating out. If you know you’ll be looking to fill an empty stomach, here are the options for dining near Fjallsárlón, including the best restaurants and local cuisine you must try on the Southcoast.

Imagine for a moment, a glacier in the shape of a hand. The main body of ice is the palm, while the outlet glaciers are its fingers. In the case of Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, that outlet glacier is Breiðamerkurjökull. As you visit this part of South Iceland, it’s easy to get caught up in its beauty, zooming in on the glittering icebergs and if it’s sunny, their reflections in the water. But it’s also worth taking a step back – literally – so that you can appreciate the bigger picture. Let’s take a look at this important glacier and find out a bit more about it.

When thinking of housing in Iceland, one might think that in the past Icelanders used to live in igloos made from snow. The fact is that this is not the case, Icelanders never lived in snow igloos. In the much colder neighboring country Greenland housing was however mostly made of snow. The names “Greenland” and “Iceland” might seem contradictory given the contrasting climates of the two countries. Greenland has always been much icier and colder than Iceland. The reason for the conflicting names dates to when the Norse explorer Eric the Red discovered both countries. He wanted to attract settlers to the icy country, naming it Greenland and deter settlers from coming to Iceland with its milder climate and fertile lands.

Fjallsárlón or Fjallsarlon is a natural glacial lagoon located in Southeast Iceland within Vatnajökull National Park. The lagoon started to form about 70 years ago when Fjallsjökull glacier started to retreat. In earlier times, as the glacier expanded the glacier carved into the landscape pushing hills and land aside making a gap of 100 meters below sea level. Naturally when the glacier started to melt away Fjallsarlon, a magnificent glacier lagoon slowly materialized right in front of the glacier tongue. Fjallsarlon is now the 4th deepest lagoon or lake in Iceland.