South Coast · Iceland
Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon
Iceberg lagoon beside Route 1 where calm water can mirror the aurora, with the ice-strewn beach across the road; one parking fee covers the lagoon and beach car parks for the day.
See tonight's live score and best time to go for Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon in Aurora Atlas
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Why it works for the aurora
- View
- North over the lagoon and glacier.
- Darkness
- Very dark sky, grade 0 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. No towns or road lights nearby; the faintest aurora shows.
- Aurora
- Near the edge of the auroral oval: aurora on most active nights, low in the northern sky on quiet ones.
Getting there
- Distance
- About 120 km by road from the middle of South Coast (estimate), roughly 2 h 18 by car.
- Parking
- Paid car parks at the lagoon and on both sides of the river mouth (beach).
- Coordinates
- 64.0480, -16.1790 · Open in OpenStreetMap
Before you go
Stay off the ice floes and away from the channel.
Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Iceland before a night drive. See our winter safety note.
Spot information from vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is.