Family-Friendly Activities Around Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon

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.

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.

Icebergs are large chunks of ice that break off glaciers. They come in all shapes and sizes and more than one color. At Fjallsarlon iceberg lagoon and Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon in Southeast Iceland you will see them floating around during spring, summer, and autumn.

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.

Glaciers and glacial lagoons are fascinating places. These mighty tongues of ice carve their way through the landscape like giant bulldozers. Though the rate of movement is too slow to observe with the naked eye, the evidence that it’s happening is all around us as the valley is shaped by the erosional power of the ice as it slides imperceptibly downhill due to gravity.

Aurora borealis is one of the most incredible natural phenomena in the world. Many people visiting Iceland between early September and mid-April have high hopes to see the northern lights during their stay. For us the people living in the Northern Hemisphere, it is quite normal to see the sky covered with different colors of dancing northern lights but believe me – it always amazes us as much as when we saw them for the first time!

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.

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.

Vatnajökull is the largest of Iceland’s trio of national parks. Centred on one of Europe’s largest glaciers, it attracts outdoor enthusiasts and sightseers keen to get an eyeful of one of the country’s most impressive natural landforms. Drive along the country’s south coast on the ring road and it looms large beside you, ever present.

Múlagljúfur Canyon is situated just a few miles from Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon and we’d recommend you visit while you’re in the area. Here’s some background to this wonderful canyon as well as practical information to help you get the most of your time there.

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.

If you’ve come to Iceland in the hope of experiencing its majestic glaciers, then the south east of the country is where you should set your sights. This corner of Iceland is not only where you’ll find Vatnajökull, a vast ice cap that shrouds an area covering a sizeable proportion of the country’s total area, but also its numerous outlet glaciers. These are the ideal place to have some ice-based adventures – let’s find out more with our roundup of some of the top glacier tours you can take in south east Iceland.

Exploring Vatnajökull’s natural ice caves is a bucket list experience for many travelers visiting Iceland. These caves are formed every winter by melting glacier water and reshaped by seasonal changes. Ice caves can have vibrant blue walls and interesting ice formations. However, accessing these wonders requires preparation, proper gear, and understanding Iceland’s sometimes unforgiving environment and every changing weather. This guide covers the essential tips for having a safe and enjoyable ice cave tour in Vatnajökull Glacier in Iceland, along with a bonus suggestion to visit nearby Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon located in the National Park.

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.

Fjallsárlón is an exquisite lagoon whose backdrop is Fjallsjökull, one of the outlet glaciers of magnificent Vatnajökull (see photo above). Here, the glacier drops down steeply towards the water, adding drama and accentuating the contrast between the lake and its background. Trust us, this is a landscape worthy of the overused epithet awesome.