Claire, one of our Iceland specialists travelled to Iceland in April and here she reveals the delights of springtime in the ‘land of fire & ice’.
“As we drive on the Ring Road from Skaftafell to Hofn, enjoying the landscapes, suddenly springs up the most amazing scenic view. And like many travellers arriving here, we are speechless. This is Jokulsarlon, the glacial Lagoon which lies at the foot of Breidamerkurjokull (one of the tongues of the glacier Vatnajokull).
Jokulsarlon is definitely my favourite part of Iceland. The most incredible place I have ever seen. We visited in April, when the country is still mostly covered in snow, and in the early morning when the daylight is still soft. We were the only ones there. Everything was silent and white and all you could hear was the sound of the glacier calving and the seals swimming and diving in the ice cold water of the lagoon. Flocks of birds migrating from Europe flew over us, letting us know that spring had officially arrived in Iceland. There was the one iceberg, emerging from the depths of the sea. Its sharp edges and the blue tint on its sides seemed pure and sheer... it looked almost unr
eal.
Of course April is not conventionally the “best time” of the year in Jokulsarlon - the boat trips which bring you up close to the icebergs do not start until May, so you can only admire it from the shores. However, it seemed to me that this was a unique experience conveying the majesty of the nature in Iceland. And we had to share this moment with no one but the seals... What an exclusive way of discovering the Vatnajokull region!
It was a wonderful thing to stand alone in this scenery, feeling so small and facing this mighty glacier. It was also a great opportunity to take amazing pictures of the lagoon in the morning light and I definitely recommend two stops there: one in the early morning and one in the evening, to catch the sunset as well”.
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