Jökulsárlón

Between Höfn and Skaftafell on the Ring Road, Jökulsárlón is a deep blue lagoon where Breiðamerkurjökull meets the sea, and it’s often a showstopper on a trip to Iceland. The lagoon formed as the glacier began retreating rapidly in the 1940s, and today it’s filled with pale, newly calved icebergs drifting quietly across the water like a slow moving performance. Climb the gravel lookout on the shore for the best perspective, and scan the iceberg edges for seals lounging in the sun.

Once you’ve seen the lagoon on your Iceland Ring Road trip, cross the road and walk down to the black sand beach. The shore is often scattered with translucent ice boulders, pieces of icebergs that have drifted down the 1 km long Jökulsá, Iceland’s shortest river, and out to sea. Their strange, sculpted shapes glitter against the dark, windswept coastline.

Top image: Iceland, Jokulsarlon lagoon © Jan Miko/Shutterstock