In the past few years, I have taken up a new interest - visiting the caves of Iceland.
And I have discovered the most colourful lava tubes in different parts of my country, as well as extraordinarily beautiful ice caves that envelop you in all shades of blue.
In this travel blog, I want to show you my favourite caves in Iceland. Along with many other interesting caves in Iceland.
Top photo: Raufarhólshellir lava cave
1. Víðgelmir - the largest lava cave
Víðgelmir lava cave
Among the largest lava caves in Iceland is the huge Víðgelmir in the Hallmundarhraun lava field in West Iceland.
Víðgelmir lava cave has been made easily accessible, and guided tours are available into this very colourful lava tube. The tour is simply called The Cave.
It is really extraordinary to visit these lava tubes, imagining the immense forces of nature that created them.
Víðgelmir lava cave
Víðgelmir is 1,585 km long, 16.5 metres at its widest, and the highest point of the lava tube is 15.8 metres!
Víðgelmir is not only among the largest lava caves in Iceland, but also among the largest in the world by cubic measure, at 150,000 cubic metres!
This huge cave is located in the Hallmundarhraun lava field, which was created during the Viking age in Iceland some 1100 years ago. And Viking-age pearls and animal bones have been found in the cave!
Víðgelmir lava cave
These lava tubes were formed when lava from volcanic eruptions formed a forceful river. The lava on the surface began to cool, forming a crust above the lava river.
After the eruption stopped, an empty lava tube was left behind, filled with beautiful colours and lava formations. And that is what makes a visit to these lava tubes so popular.
Víðgelmir contains myriads of stalagmites, stalactites, and beautiful icicles. The cave walls are decorated with beautiful lava in a wide range of colours.
Víðgelmir lava cave
I chose this tour: Víðgelmir Cave Explorer, a 1.5-hour tour.
You can read much more in my travel blog and see many photos of this beautiful cave:
The Extraordinary Lava Formations and Colours in Víðgelmir Lava Cave in West Iceland, and find out how it became haunted.
2. Raufarhólshellir - The Lava Tunnel
Photo from the guided tour of the Lava Tunnel Raufarhólshellir
The colourful Raufarhólshellir lava cave - the Lava Tunnel - is Iceland's 4th largest lava cave.
In June 2017, the cave was made easily accessible with stairs and footbridges, and guided tours are now offered.
Raufarhólshellir is 1,360 m long, 10 m tall at its tallest, and some 10-30 m wide.
The roof has a couple of openings through which snow piles up, making this cave look very distinctive.
Raufarhólshellir - The Lava Tunnel
Raufarhólshellir is extraordinarily colourful, as you can see in my photos, and the ice in some places makes the lava colours iridescent and sparkling, which is ever so pretty and makes for such beautiful photos :)
A scene from the Hollywood blockbuster Noah was filmed in this lava cave, where the Cave of Noah is - Raufarhólshellir!
Raufarhólshellir - The Lava Tunnel
I am glad it was made more accessible, as even though I had visited this cave several times, I had never been able to fully appreciate its extraordinary beauty before, as it was very rocky.
Guided tours depart into the cave from 09:00 until 17:00 every hour on the hour.
I have joined the standard tour, but there is an extreme 3-hour tour, where the guides take you to the end of the lava tunnel, where you can see much more beautiful lava formations and colours.
Raufarhólshellir - The Lava Tunnel
You can read more and see many more photos in my travel blog:
The Lava Tunnel: the Extraordinary Raufarhólshellir Lava Cave in South Iceland, where you will also find out that the lava cave has a secret.
3. Vatnshellir - Into the Underworld
Vatnshellir - Into the Underworld is very colourful
Vatnshellir - Into the Underworld is a very special lava tube on the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, right below the mystical Snæfellsjökull glacier.
The guided tour will take you about 200 metres into the lava tube, which extends 35 metres into the ground!
Vatnshellir cave is located in the Purkhólahraun lava field, in which there seem to be loads of lava caves, 4 of which belong to Vatnshellir cave. Since they are so deep underground, spiral staircases have been installed to make it easier to visit these beautiful caves.
The stairs leading into Vatnshellir lava cave
Vatnshellir means the Water cave, and it got its name from the fact that water for the cows at nearby Malarrif was fetched in these caves.
The collective name of the caves is Undirheimar or the Nether Regions, but the individual names are Vatnshellir, Bárðarstofa, Vættargangur, and Iður.
You can join guided tours into Vatnshellir cave all year round; 3 tours per day in the wintertime and 9 tours per day on the hour in the summertime from 10:00-18:00. The duration of the tour is 50 minutes.
Vatnshellir is so pretty and colourful
You can read more in my travel blog:
The Colourful Vatnshellir Lava Cave on Snæfellsnes in West Iceland & its Beautiful Lava Formations
4. Lofthellir - The Largest Ice Sculptures
Lofthellir lava cave at Mývatn - amazing ice sculptures
Lofthellir cave up north in Mývatn is a magical lava cave - deep inside it, you will see the largest ice sculptures yet discovered in any cave in Iceland!
To see these ice sculptures, you will have to crawl on your stomach through a narrow opening and swing on a rope on ice - it is both scary and fun and so worth it :)
Lofthellir, which is 3,500 years old, is 370 meters long and has a height of 10-15 meters in the main chamber. On a 70-meter-long section, the width of the ice floor is some 15 meters!
So after crawling and swinging, we were rewarded with a beautiful lava chamber.
Sliding on ice inside Lofthellir lava cave at Mývatn
I have written a travel blog about my visit to Lofthellir:
The Extraordinary Ice Sculptures in Lofthellir Cave in Mývatn, North Iceland, where you can see many more photos inside and outside the cave.
5. Ice Caves in Iceland
Inside an ice cave in Iceland
I am not only a fan of the lava caves in Iceland, but also crazy about the ice caves.
Visiting ice caves has become increasingly popular in Iceland during the wintertime, and I have visited 5 beautiful ice caves myself.
The crystal ice cave in Vatnajökull glacier took my breath away.
Inside an ice cave in Iceland
The ice caves vary from year to year, but the first ice cave I visited was huge and featured all shades of blue, as you can see in my photos.
During our visit, we were completely immersed in the brightest sapphire and aquamarine colours, giving us an out-of-this-world experience.
In 2021, the ice cave we had visited had collapsed, and a new one had formed. It is called the Sapphire ice cave.
Inside the Sapphire ice cave in 2021
The other ice cave I visited was a beautiful aquamarine ice cave in the Fláajökull glacier (see my photo below).
If you want to visit an ice cave, then you can join the ice cave tour, which takes you into an ice cave in Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, which is an outlet of Vatnajökull glacier, Iceland's largest glacier.
Inside the Fláajökull ice cave
Ice caves can only be entered with a trained glacier guide who knows the conditions within them.
These seasonal ice caves can be visited only in the wintertime; it is way too risky to enter them at other times, and fatal accidents have occurred here.
In 2021, we also visited the Black Diamond ice cave, which is very beautiful.
The Black Diamond ice cave
You can read more in my travel blogs about the ice caves:
A beautiful Crystal Ice Cave in Vatnajökull Glacier in South Iceland, and
Amazing Aquamarine Ice Caves in Fláajökull
Katla ice cave
Inside the Katla ice cave
The Katla ice cave is breathtaking, darker than the ice caves I visited earlier, as black ash from volcanic eruptions is pressed between layers of the glacier.
This ash came from Katla itself, the most dreaded subglacial volcano in Iceland.
The Katla ice cave is located in Kötlujökull, a glacier tongue from Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Iceland's fourth-largest glacier
Inside the Katla ice cave with the guide
The departure for the Katla ice cave is from Vík, which is closer to Reykjavík than the other ice caves, some 187 km compared to 372 km to Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon.
You can also choose departure from Reykjavík for the Katla ice cave.
I revisited the Katla ice cave in 2021, and it was now in another location. The ice caves collapse, and new ones are discovered, so the experience is never the same.
Visiting the Katla ice cave in 2021
Here you can see all the tours of the Katla ice cave.
Langjökull ice cave with Mountaineers of Iceland
Inside Langjökull ice cave
There are 2 man-made ice caves in Langjökull glacier, Iceland's second-largest glacier: the Ice cave tunnel, which I show you in my next chapter, number 6, and the ice cave on the east side of the glacier, which you reach on a 25-minute snowmobile ride - on which you ride yourself.
An ice cave was discovered on the east side of Langjökull glacier, and the Mountaineers of Iceland then dug into the glacier, creating a beautiful ice cave.
Inside the ice cave, you will find an ice altar, and the cave has been consecrated. Wedding ceremonies have taken place in this cave, how cool is that :)
Langjökull ice cave
We spent about 25 minutes inside the cave admiring its beauty, and the guide told us an interesting story about the ice cave.
You can read more in my travel blog about my visit to the ice cave, which also included a dip in the Secret Lagoon:
All the tours by Mountaineers of Iceland
6. The Ice Cave Tunnel - Into the Glacier
The ice cave tunnel - Into the Glacier
Inside Iceland's second-largest glacier, Langjökull glacier, you will find the Ice cave tunnel - Into the Glacier.
This man-made ice cave tunnel, which is 500 metres long, will take you some 30 metres down into Langjökull, where you will find 5 man-made chambers, one of which is a chapel!
It is both an exciting and a strange experience to find yourself, all of a sudden, inside a glacier, walking through white and blue corridors of snow and ice, after being driven across the glacier in huge monster trucks.
The ice cave tunnel - Into the Glacier
The floor of the ice cave tunnel is relatively even, so everybody can visit this cave, but you will be provided with crampons as you enter the cave for a better grip.
I asked the tour company whether the cave is wheelchair accessible, and they said yes, but you will need to bring an assistant.
Find Into the Glacier tours here.
Find the combined Into the Glacier and Into the Cave here (Víðgelmir lava cave included)
Remember to dress warmly as you are entering a real glacier - have fun :)
The ice cave tunnel - Into the Glacier
Read much more and see many more photos inside the ice cave tunnel and of the monster trucks in my travel blogs:
Visit the Ice Cave Tunnel in Langjökull Glacier in Iceland - Into the Glacier
Langjökull Ice Cave Tunnel & the beautiful Hvalfjörður Bay.
7. The Lava Church in Hljóðaklettar
The Lava Church in Hljóðaklettar
Apart from the lava tubes, you can visit several smaller lava caves, which are sometimes called churches, like the lava caves in Dimmuborgir and Hljóðaklettar.
I am just going to tell you a little bit about Hljóðaklettar - Echo Rocks in the ruggedly beautiful Jökulsárgljúfur canyon up in North Iceland.
In Hljóðaklettar, you will feel like you have entered another world when you hike between volcanic plugs that take on all kinds of forms.
You can see how massive this cave is compared to me
Here you will see columnar basalt aplenty by the massive glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, which has eroded these formations into all kinds of beautiful forms, all of which have a name, like the Castle, the Troll, the Man and Woman trolls, and the Church.
The acoustic church is extraordinarily shaped like a symmetric arch, which makes it look man-made. Be careful of falling rocks, though, while visiting this lava cave.
The Lava Church in Hljóðaklettar in the evening sun
The sun was right behind me in my photo below, so this was the best I could do, but you can take some very dramatic photos in this spot.
You can read much more about Hljóðaklettar and Jökulsárgljúfur canyon in my travel blogs:
The extraordinary Hljóðaklettar - Echo Rocks in Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon
Jökulsá á Fjöllum Glacial River and the amazing Waterfalls in Jökulsárgljúfur Canyon
8. Laugarvatnshellir Cave - the Cave People
Laugarvatnshellir Cave - the Cave People
Another interesting cave is Laugarvatnshellir Cave, where two families lived in the last century, and two children were even born inside this cave.
According to written sources, 8 of the Icelandic caves were inhabited for a while, but Laugarvatnshellir is the best known of these caves (source: Manngerðir hellar á Íslandi).
Laugarvatnshellir Cave - the Cave People
Last year, Laugarvatnshellir Cave was restored and opened up to the public, and you can get a guided tour from the Cave People.
The Cave People of Iceland will show you how the inhabitants of the cave lived not so long ago.
You pay a small entrance fee, receive a 20-minute tour, and learn all about the cave people's living conditions and the folklore associated with the cave.
You can read much more about the cave and see photos from the inside of the cave in my travel blog:
Laugarvatnshellir Cave & the Cave People of Iceland, where I tell you about the folklore and elves by the cave, and why the shepherds stopped using this cave for their sheep.
Some other interesting caves I have visited in Iceland
Surtshellir cave
Now I have shown you my most favourite caves in Iceland, but I cannot write about lava caves in Iceland without mentioning the longest one of them all, Surtshellir, where outlaws resided. This cave has 5 openings.
There is something about its name that makes me shiver, but that is only me because I had a bad experience inside this cave.
I have only entered it once, and the lady in front of me fell flat on her face. Well, she fell on her face and stuck her head in a hole in the lava, and one of her feet in another hole! And she was not wearing a helmet, which is a must when entering these rock-ribbed caves.
Surtshellir cave
After she was rescued from this dreadful predicament, she was understandably quite bewildered, so I accompanied her out of the cave.
Now I only ever visit the Íshellir - the Ice cave part of Surtshellir, in which you will find pretty icicles, as you see in my photo below.
The moral of this story is: Never enter such caves without the necessary equipment. I removed my helmet for the photo below only because I look like a mushroom in a helmet ;)
Surtshellir - Íshellir
There are so many caves in Iceland, several of which I have visited, but most of them I have yet to visit.
Many of them are man-made, and some have crosses carved on the cave walls, some of which might even date back to the time when the Irish monks inhabited Iceland, before the Settlement of Iceland by the Vikings.
Hellarnir á Hellu - the Caves of Hella in South Iceland
Inside the Caves of Hella - the narrow corridor connecting 2 of the caves
The best example of such caves is Hellarnir á Hellu - the Caves of Hella on the land of Ægissíða by the Hella village in South Iceland.
Here, some 12 man-made caves have been discovered, and the landowners invite us on a guided tour of 4 of them.
It is believed that these caves were created and used by the Irish monks who were in Iceland when the first Viking settlers arrived, so that they might predate the settlement of Iceland.
The Caves at Hella
There are even speculations that there had been an Irish settlement in Iceland for many years before the Vikings arrived around 874.
On the walls, you will see many old engravings and even some runes.
The caves are both haunting and mysterious, and the candles inside them add to the mystical atmosphere.
Engravings on the walls of the Caves of Hella
I have written a long travel blog about my 2 visits to the Caves of Hella:
The mystical Caves of Hella - are they the Oldest Man-made Structure in Iceland?
And you can buy tickets to the caves here and go on a guided tour of the caves:
Caves of Hella Guided Tour | Archaeological Exploration of Iceland's Oldest Man-Made Site
Hellnahellir cave in South Iceland - the Cave of Caves
Inside Hellnahellir cave
On the same day that we visited the Caves at Hella, we visited the largest man-made cave yet discovered in Iceland - the Hellnahellir cave - the Cave of Caves in Landsveit in South Iceland.
The long man-made cave consists of 3 caves. These caves are believed to date back to before Iceland was settled, like the Caves of Hella.
So this preserved cave is most likely more than a thousand years old and might have been created by Irish monks or by the Irish people who might have lived in Iceland before it was settled by the Vikings.
There are many engravings on the walls of Hellnahellir cave
We booked a guided tour of the caves with the farmers at Hellar and were led through the long caves. On the cave walls, there are myriad engravings.
Here you will find crosses in abundance, along with many other symbols and engravings, like in the Caves of Hella.
I have written a more detailed travel blog about these caves with many more photos and information, including folklore associated with this cave: A Visit to Hellnahellir Cave - the longest man-made Cave in Iceland.
Rútshellir cave
Rútshellir cave in South Iceland
I have written a travel blog about one of the man-made caves in Iceland, which has an interesting history and a cross carved on the wall: the peculiar Rútshellir cave.
You can find out in my travel blog why it was believed that this big tough pillar of rock was a heathen temple in Viking times.
Inside Rútshellir cave in South Iceland
In Þjóðsögur Jóns Árnasonar - the Compilation of Folklore by Jón Árnason, which I often refer to in my travel blog, I found an account of Rútur, who lived in the cave and was killed there in his stone bed by his enemies.
Read more in my travel blog: The peculiar Rútshellir cave.
Steinahellir cave
Steinahellir cave
You will find another cave in South Iceland by the Ring Road. It is called Steinahellir cave.
Steinahellir cave was the site of the local Eyfellingar's parliamentary assembly for more than 80 years and has been preserved since 1975.
A wooden panel was added to the mouth of the cave to preserve it, but some visitors don't realise it is a preserved historical site.
If you see this yellow sign, then the site is a protected archaeological site
I once met two young guys on bikes in the cave. They were lighting their camping gas stove inside the cave, happy to have found a place to shelter.
I didn't want to spoil their appetite by telling them it was forbidden and that the cave was enchanted.
There are brittle bladder ferns (tófugras) growing on the ceiling of the cave, so cooking is not allowed here. And if you tamper with the brittle bladder ferns, misfortune will happen, Icelandic folklore tells us.
The enchanted fern in Steinahellir cave
There are many stories connected to this cave, both historical stories and stories about ghosts and elves.
You can read more about the Steinahellir cave in my travel blog: The historical Steinahellir Cave in South Iceland, where I tell you about the 13 frightening-looking ghosts by the cave.
Loftsalahellir cave
Inside Loftsalahellir cave in South Iceland
I have noticed that Loftsalahellir cave by Dyrhólaey island has become popular for photoshoots, but this tuff cave was previously used as an assembly place for the farmers of the Mýrdalur region.
Loftsalahellir is located opposite Dyrhólaey Island in South Iceland, which is a very popular attraction. You can read more about it, including who was the last person to be hanged there and whose grandson he was, in my travel blog:
Cape Dyrhólaey in South Iceland - the One with the Big Arch
Sandstone caves en route to Þakgil
Carvings inside a sandstone cave
In some sandstone caves, I have found many carvings on the walls. You will see initials and dates, some hundreds of years old, like the ones in my photo above, which I took inside a small cave in South Iceland by Þakgil.
The cave below is called Stórihellir - the Big Cave - and is also found in South Iceland. Dances were held inside the cave for people living in the vicinity.
Stórihellir cave is located by the road leading to Þakgil, but cannot be seen from the road. However, after our visit to the cave, we realized we had parked the car on top of it!
Inside Stórihellir cave in South Iceland
You can see more photos of this cave in my travel blog: Þakgil and Remundargil Canyons - Beautiful Hidden Gems in South Iceland.
Sönghellir - the Singing Cave - Snæfellsnes
Sönghellir - the Singing Cave
Sönghellir - the Singing cave is located on the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland and is another cave with carvings of this sort; it also has excellent acoustics.
We have several Sönghellir caves in Iceland, but this one is believed to be the first by this name, as it was named by the first settler of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, Bárður Snæfellsás, who is the Protector of the peninsula.
Bárður stayed with his men in this small cave while he was building his settlement farm at Laugarbrekka close by.
Checking out Sönghellir
Like in so many of the sandstone caves in Iceland, you will find old dates, initials, and a cross on the walls of the cave.
These initials were left in the cave by the people who sought shelter there through the centuries.
The oldest carving found on a cave wall is in Sönghellir, is the date 1483! Such carvings are important to Iceland's history, and it is not allowed to change or add to them.
Old carvings in Sönghellir cave
You can read more about Snæfellsnes in my travel blog:
The Magical Snæfellsnes Peninsula - Part I.
And about Bárður Snæfellsás in my travel blog:
Bárður Snæfellsás - the Mythical Protector of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in West Iceland.
Kirkjan - the Church in Dimmuborgir
Kirkjan - the Church in Dimmuborgir
You will find an interesting lava cave at Dimmuborgir - the Dark Cities up north in Mývatn.
It is called Kirkjan - the Church, and is the best-known lava formation at Dimmuborgir.
It looks like a man-made cave, but it isn't.
Kirkjan - the Church looks like it is man-made
It is open at both ends, forming a high-dome-shaped lava roof, and resembles a Gothic church a bit.
It looks very different from the outside, where you will think that this is just a small cave.
To find this lava cave at Dimmuborgir, you follow a route called Kirkjuhringurinn - the Church Route
The Cave of the Yule Lads in Dimmuborgir
The Cave of the Yule Lads in Dimmuborgir
In Dimmuborgir, you will find another interesting cave - the cave of the 13 Icelandic Yule Lads!
The Icelandic Yule Lads are the offspring of the terrible trolls, Grýla and Leppalúði, and thus they are ill-mannered and mischievous, so woe to those who are snooping around in the cave when the Yule Lads return ;)
The beds of the Yule lads, we found one sleeping there
Inside their furnished cave, you will find natural, made-up lava beds and the personal belongings of the Yule Lads. Their laundry is hanging up to dry, and it looks like they just popped out for a minute.
Well worth a visit - if you can find it ;)
You can read more in my travel blog:
Mývatn in North Iceland - Part II - Dimmuborgir lava field & the Cave of the Yule Lads.
Grjótagjá lava cave
Inside Grjótagjá at Mývatn
Grjótagjá is a very interesting lava cave close to Dimmuborgir. It has got two openings and is half-filled with hot water.
Before the eruptions of Mt. Krafla in 1975-1984, it was used for bathing, but nowadays the water is still way too hot for bathing, and bathing in it is forbidden by the landowners.
Grjótagjá is such a mystical cave, and as such, Game of Thrones supposedly used it as one of the film locations: Jon Snow and Ygritte's cave and love scene.
Although parts of that scene were filmed in a studio, from what I could see when I watched the scene.
The difference between these 2 photos is that the first one is taken with flash, and this one is without flash
To my dismay, I read in our morning paper (July 2018) that the landowners, who had gracefully allowed guests to have a look inside Grjótagjá and take photos, had to close a part of this beautiful cave.
Some people had shown such great disrespect as bathing and sleeping inside the cave, washing their shoes and their dishes in the water, and some had even defecated there :(
Read more in my travel blog:
Mývatn in North Iceland - Part III - Grjótagjá, Stóragjá & the Mývatn Naturebaths, with many more photos of Grjótagjá and its neighbouring Stóragjá rift.
Gýgjagjá in Hjörleifshöfði - nicknamed the Yoda Cave
Gýgjagjá in Hjörleifshöfði - nicknamed the Yoda Cave
On the south side of Hjörleifshöfði promontory in South Iceland, you will find a distinctive palagonite cave with a huge opening. This is Gýgjagjá, and it is some 20-30 metres high.
The opening of the cave is so distinctive, as there are 2 separate openings, one on top of another, with a bridge between them.
Photos from both the outside and the inside are cool, and I have heard that this cave is rented for photoshoots.
Can you spot Yoda?
A couple of years ago, this cave was nicknamed the Yoda Cave, as from the inside the openings look like a huge Yoda :)
You can read more about Hjörleifshöfði in my 2-part travel blogs:
The Historic Hjörleifshöfði Promontory
Maríuhellar caves
Maríuhellar caves
The lava caves closest to Reykjavík are the Maríuhellar caves, which include Vífilsstaðahellir, Urriðakotshellir (in my photo above), and Draugahellir (Ghosts-) caves.
Such caves were often used to keep sheep.
Maríuhellar - the Caves of Mary, might be named after the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the caves belonged to the Viðeyjarklaustur monastery, which was dedicated to Mary.
The magician Silly Billy disappeared into the cave of the ghosts!
The entrance to Draugahellir is very narrow, just a hole in the ground, and it is completely dark inside. Enter if you dare...
My husband pulled me down into this cave before we got married, without telling me that it is called Draugahellir - the Cave of the Ghosts!
I would never have stepped into a hole in the ground to enter a pitch-black cave had I known that it was haunted!
Inside Draugahellir - The Cave of the Ghosts ;)
We always take our visitors to Maríuhellar caves and into Draugahellir, and sometimes as far as Búrfellsgjá lava gorge.
I now opt out of entering the ghosts' cave, so my photo above is from my only visit inside this cave. Ignorance is bliss ;)
Baðstofuhellir - Hellir Eldklerksins - the Cave of the Pastor of Fire
Baðstofuhellir - the Cave of the Pastor of Fire - Dyrhólaey in the distance
I am just going to show you the view from one historic cave in South Iceland, which is the much lesser-known neighbour of a large basalt-column cave, that most tourists in my country visit, Hálsanefshellir cave in Reynisfjara beach.
This cave is referred to as Hellir Eldklerksins - the Cave of the Pastor of Fire. It has got two names, Baðstofuhellir and Bæjarhellir.
In this hidden-away cave, Jón Steingrímsson (1728–1791) spent the winter of 1755 with his brother, Þorsteinn. He expanded the cave and put in it his bed, a table, and a bench.
The cave is about 6 metres long, 3 metres wide, and 2 metres high, according to the book "Manngerðir hellar á Íslandi", which is an excellent book about man-made caves in Iceland.
Inside Baðstofuhellir - the Cave of the Pastor of Fire
Jón was later referred to as Eldklerkurinn - the Pastor of Fire after he delivered the Mass of Fire during the Skaftáreldar volcanic eruption in Lakagígar back in 1783.
The view from the cave faces west toward Dyrhólaey island, which I told you about earlier.
I have written another travel blog about Reynisfjara and the caves: Reynisfjara - the dramatic black-sand basalt column beach in South Iceland.
Stóri-Hellir cave in Hellisskógur forest
Stóri-Hellir cave in Hellisskógur forest
Another haunted cave is found in Hellisskógur forest near Selfoss, in South Iceland. It is called Stóri-Hellir or the Big Cave.
A ghost with a blue scarf was sometimes spotted here. It is a sad story, as a young man with a broken heart reportedly hanged himself with a blue scarf while grieving for his lost love :(
This cave is ancient, and the basalt is around 0.7-3.1 million years old! It was used to keep sheep and store hay, but as you can see from the photo above, it is now used for picnics and gatherings.
Sönghellir - the Singing Cave at Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Inside Sönghellir cave at Kirkjubæjarklaustur
At Kirkjubæjarklaustur in South Iceland, you will find another Sönghellir - Singing Cave. A relatively short hike will take you to the cave. This is the same hike as for Lake Systravatn, marked in red, but further up the trail, it splits into two.
The path starts by Systrafoss waterfall and is an upward hike with a very narrow trail leading to Sönghellir. And, the view is the treetops above the village.
The trail was slippery, and I was holding onto grass and tree branches, anything I could find, so I would not slide down the hill and onto the treetops below.
Sönghellir cave at Kirkjubæjarklaustur
Here, the story goes (according to the information sign) that the nuns from the Kirkjubæjarklaustur nunnery would sing to the monks from Þykkvabæjarklaustur when they came for a visit. It is a small cave, though.
I have written about Kirkjubæjarklaustur if you want to read up on more interesting hikes and what there is to see and do in this area:
The Historical Kirkjubæjarklaustur, Systrafoss & Systrastapi in South Iceland
Eyvindarhellir Cave at Hveravellir
Eyvindarhellir cave at Hveravellir
A cave at Hverafvellir in the highland of Iceland was inhabited for a while by one of our best-known outlaws, Fjalla-Eyvindur - Eyvindur of the Mountains (1714-1785) and his wife Halla Jónsdóttir.
The cave is named after him: Eyvindarhellir. The entrance to the cave is just a hole in the ground, but it is relatively spacious inside.
This is the Cave of Eyvindur at Eyvindarstofa, not the dining room ;) Halla is preparing dinner.
I have visited an interesting exhibition in Blönduós village on Fjalla-Eyvindur and his cave, which is well worth a visit. You can also have dinner at their restaurant at Eyvindarstofa, but the dining hall is decorated in Fjalla-Eyvindur's outlaw style, which is a unique experience.
You can see what the entrance to this cave looks like in my travel blog:
Hveravellir, the beautiful Oasis in the highland of Iceland, where you can also see the beautiful geothermal area and the hot spring where Eyvindur cooked his meals.
Páskahellir Cave in East Iceland
Páskahellir cave
A cave with a folktale associated with it can be found in Neskaupstaður Country Park in East Iceland.
Páskahellir cave is at the end of an information path and can be reached via a steep ladder.
Good hiking shoes are needed as there are rocks beneath the ladder, so there is a bit of a clamber.
You will notice some strange holes in the walls of the cave. They are holes from some 12-million-year-old trees that were covered by lava!
Stairs lead halfway to the cave
It is an interesting place to visit, as you will also see glistening rock crystals, pillow lava, and dykes here.
The name Páskahellir means Easter Cave, and the name stems from the fact that on Easter Morning, you can see the sun dance in the cave.
I have only visited the cave in the summertime, so I cannot verify it, though.
The folktale, which is supposed to have happened in Páskahellir cave, is about the farmer of Bakki and a seal woman.
You can read the story here: Neskaupstaður Country Park.
Skessan í Hellinum - the Giantess in the Cave in Keflavík
Skessan í Hellinum in Keflavík SW-Iceland
In a man-made cave by the Keflavík marina in SW-Iceland, you will find Skessan í Hellinum or the Giantess in the Cave - a giantess with a hearth of gold.
The Giantess is one of the 2 main characters in the popular children's story of Sigga og Skessan - Sigga and the Giantess, by the Icelandic author Herdís Egilsdóttir from Húsavík in North Iceland.
Skessan í Hellinum in Keflavík SW-Iceland
Herdís wrote her first book about the Giantess back in 1959, but I think that there are 16 books now. I loved her books when I was a little girl :)
You can visit the cave and the 5-meter-tall Giantess. She sits in a chair in the kitchen of the cave where she sleeps and snores and burps and does other stuff which children find very funny ;)
I have written another travel blog about: The gentle Giantess in the Cave in Keflavík Town in SW-Iceland.
Þríhnúkagígur - go inside a Magma Chamber
Photo from the tour: Thrihnukagigur Volcano
Lest I forget, the most popular cave of them all, Þríhnúkagígur - go inside a Magma Chamber, which is a cool experience where you enter the chamber via a lift journey.
I have not visited it yet, but I hope they will invite me to visit one day so I can experience it and write about it.
Leiðarendi cave - photo by my husband Jón Víðis
There are several other caves (probably a couple of hundred) in Iceland that I have yet to visit, some of which are close to Reykjavík, such as Leiðarendi cave and Arnarker.
This travel blog is my take on Icelandic caves, and over time, I hope to add more interesting caves to this list.
Have a lovely time exploring the caves of Iceland :)
