Glacier hiking experience on the majestic Fjallsjökull glacier

Iceland is known for extreme weather at least some of the time and the surroundings of Vatnajökull Glacier. The southeast of Iceland has somewhat uniqueness in weather compared to other parts of the country. It is in fact warmer and rainier than any other parts of the country.

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.

If you’re a keen photographer, you’ll find plenty of irresistible locations throughout Iceland. One that has become a firm favourite with travellers is undoubtedly Breiðamerkursandur, better known to visitors as Diamond Beach. It’s easy to visit this place before or after Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon. For those in the planning stages of a visit, here’s our take on the best time to visit and how to photograph it.

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.

If you’ve been planning an ice cave tour, then it’s likely that you’ve been looking at pictures of these dazzling landforms online. If you have, one thing that will have struck you is how blue the ice often is. This might seem odd – after all, glacier ice starts as compacted snow and snow’s white, right? In this article, we’ll look at the science behind Vatnajökull’s blue ice and see what happens to make it so.

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.

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.

The Vatnajökull Ice Cap is the largest in Iceland and the second biggest in Europe after the Severny Island Ice Cap in Novaya Zemlya, Russia. It covers an area of about 7700km2 which represents about 8% of Iceland’s land area. Beneath its surface hide seven active volcanic systems: Öræfajökull, Bárðarbunga, Kverkfjöll, Grímsvötn, Þórðarhyrna, Hamarinn and Esjufjöll. These sometimes cause some of the ice to melt creating floods known as jökulhlaups.

Travellers who reach Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon will have been treated to some extraordinary landscapes. You can be forgiven for thinking that the iceberg strewn lagoon with its wonderful backdrop of the Fjallsjökull glacier would be hard to top. Nevertheless, road trippers will delight in what’s to come, as East Iceland is one of the most picturesque and unspoilt regions of the country.

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.

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.

Looking into a town’s past helps understand its present and its future. Iceland’s history stretches back more than a thousand years and the interaction between humans and their environment has woven an intricate cultural tapestry. Höfn’s story kicks off much later, but despite being relatively young by Icelandic standards, this corner of the country has an interesting history that’s well worth delving into.

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.

When you travel, is food your thing? Getting to know an area’s cuisine and trying out its restaurants and cafés can be a great way of finding out about the cultural heritage of a place. But even more than that it’s a chance to enjoy delicious food in new surroundings. If you haven’t eaten at Frost Restaurant while you’ve been visiting Fjallsárlón, you might be feeling peckish by the time you reach Höfn. Or perhaps it’s your next overnight stop. Either way, here’s our food lover’s guide to Höfn in Iceland, including where to track down the best eats and treats.

Seals are frequently sighted along Iceland’s coast and you’ll often see them in the south of the country. In this article, we’ll take a look at what kinds of seal you can expect to encounter and suggest some of the places where they are regularly seen. We’ll also explore when you’re most likely to spot them and discuss how to behave in a responsible manner so that these delightful marine mammals can call South Iceland home for many years to come.