Everything You Need to Know About Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon​

A bit of background about the setting

Like Jökulsárlón, Fjallsárlón has been created as a result of glacial retreat. Its backdrop is the Fjallsjökull glacier, an outlet of the Öræfajökull Glacier, which itself is a tributary of the much bigger Vatnajökull glacier. Even so, Fjallsjökull isn’t small, measuring about 2 kilometres across and almost as much from the mountain top to the bottom. 

The lake is smaller than and not quite as deep as Jökulsárlón, but this can be seen as an advantage. When you’re out on the lagoon, the mountain peak  Miðaftanstindur looms large – you’ll recognise it easily because of its pyramidal shape. From this distance, you’ll see a lot of the detail in the surface of the glacier that has carved out a valley on its flanks.

How the Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon​ was created

While Fjallsjökull is the glacier, Fjallsárlón is the lagoon. It hasn’t always been there, but for about 70 years, glacial meltwater has collected in a hollow that the ice eroded while temperatures were much colder. While most of this water originates from Fjallsjökull, some of it comes from another glacier called Hrútárjökull. 

Yet more water comes from the River Breiðá via another lake called Breiðárlón. Taken together, they’ve made what’s currently the fourth deepest lake in Iceland. It differs from Jökulsárlón in another way: as Fjallsárlón is a little further inland, there’s no channel connecting it to the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll still see icebergs, however, but they can’t be carried out to sea and won’t end up on Diamond Beach.

What can you do while you’re visiting Fjallsárlón?

Boat tours

One of the most popular activities on Fjallsárlón is to take a boat trip on a Zodiac to get a closer look at the Fjallsjökull glacier and the icebergs that calve from it onto the lagoon. These depart from the middle of spring to late autumn, typically between April and November. Book ahead if you are planning to be here during peak season (June to August).

You’ll spend about 45 minutes out on the water, which is ample time to experience the glacial scenery. This is suitable for almost all the family; children as young as five are welcome aboard so long as they are accompanied by a responsible adult. Gear is provided to keep you safe and warm; it’s advisable to bring your own hat and gloves to keep your extremities from feeling cold.

Glacier hikes

You’ll need a reasonable level of fitness to get up onto the glacier, but walking across its surface is a memorable experience and one that’s highly recommended. Joining a small group guided tour, you’ll don a helmet and crampons to hike around 6 or 7 kilometres across the ice. 

To get up onto the glacier, you’ll be given a ride in a super jeep or specially adapted 4x4, which is an adventure in itself. The views of the surrounding mountains and of course, the glacier itself are breathtaking; the chance to take a closer look at its crevasses and moraines is fascinating.

Getting there and away

To reach Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon​ by car from Vik takes about two and a quarter hours; it’s closer to Höfn, which is about an hour away. As with Jökulsárlón, the lagoon is located very close to the ring road and is well signposted. It’s just about doable from Reykjavik as a day trip, especially in summer when the amount of daylight increases significantly, but you’ll be glad of an interim stop to give you more time here.

In fact, given the very different nature of the two experiences, many travellers opt to visit Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach at the same time as Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon​. It’s only a ten-minute drive between them, making a double visit hard to resist. Both are strikingly photogenic, and as the size, shape, and number of icebergs vary, no two visits will be alike.

As with all major sites within Vatnajökull National Park, you will need to park in a designated car park and pay a fee of 1000 ISK for a standard car. However, if you visit both on the same day, your ticket is also good for Jökulsárlón and Diamond Beach; split them over two days, and parking on the second day is charged at 50%.

FAQ

How far from jokulsarlon to Fjallsarlon?

Just about 10 minutes by car — they're really close to each other!

How to get to Fjallsárlón?

It’s right off Iceland’s Ring Road, between Höfn and Vik. You can drive there easily and it’s well signposted

How to pronounce Fjallsárlón?

It’s roughly “fyatls-owr-lawn” — don’t worry, even locals smile when visitors try!

Is there kayaking in Fjallsarlon?

Not at the moment — boat tours are the main option here, and they’re awesome!

What does Fjallsarlon mean?

It means “mountain lagoon” in Icelandic — fitting, right?