Parking in Southeast Iceland: Costs, Free Parking and Payment Options

Iceland is often referred to as the land of fire and ice! You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that it’s home to a number of glaciers, the largest being Vatnajökull. Let’s find out a little more about them and how you can combine a glacier excursion with a visit to 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.

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.

Skaftafell is located in the heart of Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland. It has been protected since 1967 and is a breathtaking wilderness that combines spectacular natural scenery with cultural heritage. You’ll pass by on the way to Fjallsárlón if you’re coming from the west. Like many places in Iceland, Skaftafell boasts extraordinary landscape and is a good focus point for several outdoor activities, not least scenic hikes. At Skaftafell, you will also find food trucks, good camping grounds and tourist information centre if you decide you want to stay overnight.

Vatnajökull National Park – Unesco Heritage Site:
This week we would like to share with you some information about Vatnajokull National Park, why you should explore the area and the main highlights. This beautiful area possesses endless natural wonders of different landscapes. 

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.

The company Fjallsarlon Iceberg Boat Tours was founded in 2013, offering iceberg lagoon boat tours from the back of a trailer. Since then, a lot has changed. In 2017 we opened a new tour reception for boat tours, and at Frost restaurant, we were able to welcome hungry travelers. We can proudly say that our service center next to a glacier lagoon is the best facility any activity company in the area offers. We believe that the overall experience when going on any tour should be good from the moment you park your car and until you leave again.

If you’ve set your sights on visiting Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon, there’s a good chance you are planning to travel from Reykjavik by car. It’s around a five hour drive, so where should you stop along the way? Here are a few of our favourite places to break the journey.

Öræfajökull (Oraefajokull glacier) volcano above Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon is by far the biggest volcano in Iceland by volume around 300km3. Located in Vatnajokull National Park in the Southeast of Iceland you will find impressive sights surrounding the volcano giant. At the top of the mountain the crater is around 14km2 filled with ice. Crawling down from the brim there are eight glacier tongues that extend from the glacier, one of them being our Fjallsjökull Glacier.

The vast black sands and black beaches you find in the South of Iceland often leave many feeling as though they’ve stepped onto another planet. The most famous black sand beaches in Iceland are the Diamond beach and the Black Beach (Reynisfjara). Another frequently visited tourist attraction is the airplane wreck on Solheimasandur, black sand beach.

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.

Fjallsárlón and the surrounding glaciers. Visiting a glacier is a real highlight of any trip to Iceland, and if you’re planning to travel along the country’s scenic southern coast, you won’t regret calling in at Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the surrounding glaciers. With a backdrop of ice, it’s a breathtaking sight, but these majestic landforms can be hazardous, so it’s never a good idea to climb up on a glacier on your own. You can join the Ultimate Glacier Adventure a perfect combo of boat tour and glacier hike.

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.

If you are visiting Iceland and want to know more about glacier lagoons, and glaciers we recommend that you check out the variety of tours we offer. All our tours are operated in Vatnajökull National Park in southeast Iceland, we have the best check in and restroom facilities in the area. We strive to offer personal, educational and fun tours away from the crowds. So, if you want to avoid overcrowded places, we would be happy to welcome you on one of our adventure tours!

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.