The story of Jökulsárlón

When the first settlers reached Iceland around AD 870, the tongue of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier lay about 20 km further north than today. During the Little Ice Age it advanced almost to the coast. Then, as temperatures rose, it retreated quickly, and around 1934–35 a lagoon formed in its wake. That lagoon is Jökulsárlón, the 'glacial river lagoon'.

It now covers about 25 square kilometres, and in 2009 it was reported to be the deepest lake in Iceland, at over 284 metres. Blocks of ice about 30 metres high calve from the glacier into the water. Some icebergs look sculpted, partly covered by ash from ancient eruptions; others shine milky white or bright blue, depending on the air trapped inside. In winter, seals gather at the mouth of the lake to catch fish.

Chunks of ice wash up on the black sand beach of Eystri-Fellsfjara, sometimes called 'diamond beach'. Four Hollywood films were shot here, including A View to a Kill and Batman Begins.