Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier

Breiðamerkurjökull

Southeast

Breiðamerkurjökull is the outlet glacier of Vatnajökull that calves icebergs into Jökulsárlón lagoon. The lagoon didn't exist until around 1933, when warming temperatures caused the glacier to retreat far enough to let meltwater pool behind it. Since then it has grown to Iceland's deepest glacial lake, covering around 15 square kilometers, and the glacier front has pulled back roughly six kilometers from the old shoreline. All access onto the ice requires a guided tour. In summer, four-wheel-drive vehicles ferry visitors from Jökulsárlón to the glacier's edge, where crampons go on and a guide leads you across textured blue and grey ice. From November through early March, the approach reveals natural ice caves formed by meltwater; caves typically run 30 to 70 meters long and glow a deep electric blue when light filters through the compressed ice overhead. Tours depart from the Jökulsárlón car park on Route 1, about five hours from Reykjavík. Book well ahead for winter ice cave slots — they sell out months in advance.

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