Fjadlsjokudl Viewpoint sits on the shore of Fjallsárlón, a glacier lagoon in South Iceland close to Jökulsárlón. A glacier tongue ends in the lake, and the icebergs it sheds drift on the water in front of the viewpoint. The reason to come is the closeness: the glacier front and the floating ice are in view from the shore, and the car park stands at the lagoon.
Fjadlsjokudl Viewpoint
Local name: Útsýni yfir Fjallsjökull
Ice strands on the lagoon shore much as it does at Diamond Beach a few minutes away, with a fraction of the people.
- Accessibility
- The entrance is not wheelchair accessible.
- Parking
- Paid car park at the viewpoint, about 10 metres away; the surface is unpaved. A free car park lies about 1.3 kilometres away.
- Difficulty
- Easy: a few metres of unpaved ground from the car park to the lagoon shore.
- Transport
- Self-drive (Ring Road + rough gravel spur)
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, every day.
- Address
- Fjallsárlón, 785 Iceland
What makes it special
Ice breaks off the glacier front and falls into the lake, and the pieces then drift the length of the lagoon. The shore is open to the water's edge, so the ice can be watched from a few metres away rather than from a distance. Loose blocks strand on the beach. The mountain behind the glacier is in view along the whole shore. Jökulsárlón, the larger lagoon nearby, takes most of the visitors, and the numbers here stay well below it.
Good to know
- No toilets. There are none at the viewpoint or the car park, which is worth knowing if you are here with children.
- Allow an hour or two. The shore of the lagoon can be walked, and this is not a five-minute photo stop.
- An information point stands about 800 metres from the viewpoint.
- Diamond Beach is a few minutes away by car, so the two work as a single stop.
Getting there
Access is by car. The main car park sits at the lagoon itself, about ten metres from the viewpoint, so there is no walk to speak of between the vehicle and the water. A second car park lies about 1.3 kilometres away for anyone who would rather walk in.
Best time to visit
Better: late evening in summer. In late May the sun sets around 22:00, which leaves the whole evening for the shore.
Numbers here stay well below those at Jökulsárlón at any hour, so the choice of time is not driven by crowds.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you get close to the ice?
Yes. The shore is open to the water's edge, and loose ice strands on the beach.Is it worth stopping if you have already seen Jökulsárlón?
Yes. The lagoon is smaller, it takes far fewer people, and the glacier front is close to the shore.Are there toilets at the viewpoint?
No. There are none on site.How much time does the lagoon need?
An hour or two if you walk the shore rather than stopping at the viewpoint alone.