Jökulsárlón all year round

In the past ten years or so Jökulsárlón á Breiðamerkursandur, on the south coast of Iceland, has come to represent Iceland in the eyes of the world. This site is well known to tourists and few visit Iceland without making a trip to the lagoon. Its attraction lies in the magnificence and diversity of the ice floes that float on the blueish green waters, all different shapes, sizes and colours.

Then there is the grandeur of the surrounding mountains. Directly south of the lagoon is the Atlantic Ocean in all its might, but between this and the lagoon lies the coastline, a narrow strip of sand as black as charcoal, often garnished with innumerable glittering chunks of ice which have been briefly washed ashore by the high tide. Enormous ice floes float close to the shore, constantly pounded by the surf, the spray swirling high up into the air.

Thorvardur Árnason took all the photographs in this book. They were taken in various weather conditions throughout the year and at differing times of day. Thorvardur lives in Höfn and is in charge of the University of Iceland’s study centre at Hornafjördur.

Photo: One of Þorvarður Árnason's photos from Jökulsárslón in the book.