Today would turn out to be my favorite day of the trip, and by chance we had the most gorgeous weather with bright blue skies. It was unseasonably warm in Iceland, but we were able to enjoy our day outdoors. Thank goodness we were able to get a fan for our room, since there was no air conditioning.
Our primary destination for the day was the glacier lagoons along the coastline of Southeast Iceland, which is shaped by Vatnajokull, the largest glacier in Europe. Vatnajokull loomed in the background for much of the day. On our route, we passed mossy cliffs and fields that were an incredibly vibrant shade of green. This beautiful green color is a favorite memory of Iceland for me. Ribbon waterfalls flowed from the cliffs, and tongues from the glacier filled the grooves in the mountains. I was amazed at how many glacier tongues and terminal moraines were so close to the highway.
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| Vibrant Green Hills and Ribbon Waterfalls |
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| Vibrant Green Hills and Rocky Cliffs |
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| Glaciers So Close to the Highway |
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| Terminal Moraines Around Every Bend |
When we reached the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, I was awestruck. Here, the bright blue water of the lagoon was filled with giant icebergs. I had thought that we might need to take a boat tour to see the icebergs, but they were amazingly close to the shore. The colors and shapes were mesmerizing, and I spent what seemed like hours just gazing at them. We also visited the nearby Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon, but the icebergs there were much farther away. |
| Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon |
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| Tim and Sarah at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon |
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| Fjallsarlon Glacier Lagoon |
We next stopped at Diamond Beach, a dramatic black sand beach glittering with large and small icebergs that give the appearance of diamonds.
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| Diamond Beach |
Skaftafell National Park is a main attraction in Southeast Iceland, but visiting it requires considerable hiking, and we were ready to call it a day.
We did make a quick stop to see Kirkjugólf, a natural pavement of basalt. Here, only the tops of basalt columns in the earth are visible, giving the appearance of a paved church floor.
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| Kirkjugólf |
After a long but satisfying day, we returned to our hotel, relaxed, and had another lovely dinner. |
| Our Route - Day 6 |
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