While Iceland's most dramatic and breathtaking locales tend to come with a crowd of tourists, here, Vogue Scandinavia lifts the lid on the magic of one of the country's lesser-known destinations
If you google 'glacier lagoon in Iceland', you will be faced with millions of search results. And the large majority will point you in the direction of Jökulsárlón, a lake that is filled with meltwater and icebergs from an outlet glacier. While it is an impressive sight and well worth a visit, what many people don't know is that there are a handful of smaller glacier lagoons nearby. And these smaller lagoon environments are more likely to actually freeze over, meaning that, with the right conditions, you can venture out onto the ice and stroll amongst the giant icebergs.
The experience is just as incredible as it sounds. It's also much more likely to be tourist-free, mainly owing to the fact very few people know to seek out the smaller lagoons. But also, as the glacier is constantly moving, with ice and icebergs pushing forward and creating cracks, you do need to engage with a local guide who knows the area and can ensure the ice is safe to enter.
Each year, the icebergs form from the main glacier, float into these smaller lagoons and then freeze into the ice. So each time brings a new and completely unique formation, as they merge together to create an icy maze amidst the glacier wonderland that has been frozen in time since over 1,000 years ago. The icebergs can reach heights as tall as five-storey buidlings, often with incredible caves and tunnels to walk through.
Nowhere else in the world can you get this close to such large icebergs. When icebergs float in open water, there is a constant chance they they will flip. But here in the smaller lagoons around Jökulsárlón, the frozen ice holds them in place – meaning you can truly get up close and, at times, even climb them. Everything around you is an immersive deep ice blue, then when the sun is about to set, the icebergs become sparkling gold and silver shades as they reflect the last rays of the day.
If you are lucky enough to find yourself in Iceland during the right weather conditions, then a trip to these smaller, frozen-over glacier lagoons is a must. Equip yourself with crampons, rope, and an ice axe and, with guidance of course, get out into this frozen wonderland.
