Lava caves in Iceland are one of the absolute must-visits when you get here. It’s easy to get lost in the therapeutic hot pots and fascinating Viking Culture. But you must not forget what might hide underneath your feet.
There are a myriad of lava caves in Iceland, each offering a unique characteristic that allows you to choose whichever suits you best. In this article, we navigate through the lava caves in Iceland, going long, deep, shallow, and narrow.
What are Lava Caves in Iceland?
When you travel along the roads of Iceland, you’ll see evidence of the violent volcanic activity all over the country. You’ll see everything from massive lava plains to jagged cliffs and hexagonal basalt columns. The lava caves in Iceland, on the other hand, are harder to see from the road.
These things tend to be hidden underground, nestled in hills, or dug into the mountainsides. When lava caves in Iceland are formed, they are the result of low-viscosity (slow-moving) lava creating tube-like casings around gooey lava innards. Sometimes, the inner layers of lava will be fluid for a long enough time to be emptied into another chamber or run off somewhere else. This leaves large empty chambers, which become our lava caves in Iceland!
This phenomenon occurs in different shapes and sizes, and it occurs pretty much everywhere a volcanic eruption takes place. The lava caves in Iceland range from minute holes to cathedral-sized chambers that either collapse or stay open for long enough for us to find them. The ones we find are often in the form of long lava tubes with colorful interiors from different mineral deposits and chemical compounds.
Our Favorite Lava Caves in Iceland
Since the Land of Fire and Ice is in a state of continuous change, new geological features come and go with time. That means there will be new lava caves in Iceland, even if it will take a long time and require a couple of volcanic eruptions. For now, the best lava caves in Iceland (according to us) are open for business and ready to be explored:
Grjótagjá Hot Spring Cave
They say good things come in small packages, and Grjótagjá is one of those things! We start the list of lava caves in Iceland with an international celebrity close to Mývatn in Northern Iceland. Even though many people think otherwise, the steamy scene in Game of Thrones that plays out between Jon Snow and the Wildling Ygritte in the hot spring in the cave was not filmed on location. The scene was filmed in a studio, and the cave was added artificially afterward (that’s why it has a small waterfall on screen).
This is one of the most popular lava caves in Iceland among international visitors and used to be a popular bathing place for locals. It was closed in the mid-1900s by local authorities when the hot spring reached unsafe temperatures and has been closed ever since. It’s only recently gained international attention as one of the Game of Thrones filming locations.
Víðgelmir Cave
The second cave on the list is the largest of the lava caves in Iceland. In fact, Víðgelmir is one of the largest lava caves in the world, with a staggering 150,000 cubic meters (5 million cubic feet) of volume. It’s over 1,500 meters long, 16.5 meters wide, and 15.8 meters high at the highest point.
You find Víðgelmir Cave in the western highlands, just northwest of Langjökull. It’s part of the Hallmundarhraun lava field and even has some archaeological importance due to evidence of humans living there in the Viking Age.
Vatnshellir Cave
Inside the Snæfellsnes National Park, you’ll find another popular attraction called the Vatnshellir Cave. This 8,000-year-young beauty is 35 meters deep and requires walking down a long spiral staircase to get to the bottom of the cave. While you’re there, you’ll have 200 meters of cave to explore with your guide and whomever in the family who wants to join.
This is one of the caves that you can visit all year round and is suitable for all family members (who can walk up and down stairs) since it has proper infrastructure inside. This also means that you can’t enter the cave without a guide, and you need to plan this cave adventure in advance.
The creation of Vatnshellir is unique and is foreshadowed by the name. In English, it translates to “Water Cave”, which comes from the history of this cave being created as lava enveloped a river of water and not lava. A thick crust was created, and the river dried up, creating Vatnshellir Cave.
Mariuhellar Caves
If you’re familiar with Icelandic, you’ve noticed that “-hellir” is at the end of the name of almost all lava caves in Iceland. This ending is the Icelandic equivalent of putting “Cave” after a word to highlight that a place is a cave. The reason why Mariuhellar ends with “-hellar” is because it is three caves that are located very close to each other. Mariuhellar Caves are most famous for their historical significance since they’ve been used by local farmers as a shelter for both animals and people.
If you’re looking for an easy challenge close to civilization, this is the place to visit. You can literally park next to the caves and walk down man-made stairs to reach the opening of the caves. These lava caves in Iceland are a good place to also have a nice walk in nature without having to bring any serious hiking gear.
The Mariuhellar Caves are just 12 kilometers south of Reykjavik, so it’s close and comfortable for the ones who want to stay in the capital region.
Gjabakkahellir Cave
Gjabakkahellir is also known as Stelpuhellir or “the Girl Cave”. It’s unknown why this became an alternate name for the cave, but the name stuck among the locals. It’s in Thingvellir National Park, so you’ll have plenty of attractions and activities nearby and a natural stop along the Golden Circle.
The entrance is a short 50-meter walk from the parking spot, and the cave itself is only 360 meters long. If you want to go the full length of the cave, you’ll have to do a little bit of crawling. Other than that, this is one of the easier lava caves in Iceland to explore if you’re not in the mood for serious spelunking.
Surtshellir Cave
Surtshellir Cave is located in the western part of the country, close to Borgarnes. It is the first lava tube discovered in the world, according to the people studying lava caves. This is one of the few lava caves in Iceland that has real evidence of pagan cult activities, which makes it very significant from an archaeological point of view.
Most lava caves in Iceland have a reputation for being home to various giants, elves, ghosts, or other unearthly beings, but Surtshellir takes the cake. It is named after the fire giant Surtr, who is said to set the world ablaze during the Norse end of the world: Ragnarök. It is said that the cave itself was created by the giant, and it has always had a solid reputation for being full of all sorts of supernatural malevolent beings.
Lofthellir Cave
In Northern Iceland, there is a lava tube that’s most known for the massive ice sculptures that have formed in the depths of the cave. To reach the most impressive ones, you’ll have to indulge in a little bit of exercise by crawling through narrow passages and using rope to clear some obstacles. It sounds a lot more dangerous than it is, and there won’t be an Indiana Jones trap at the end of the tunnel, we promise.
Here, you’ll find the largest ice sculptures in any of the lava caves in Iceland, which is the cave’s claim to fame. Moving through Lofthellir isn’t difficult or unsafe. But you should still make sure you take on the cave with an experienced guide, just to be safe.
Raufarhólshellir Cave
This is the fourth largest of the lava caves in Iceland, spanning an impressive 1,360 meters in length and 30 meters in width at its widest point. Raufarhólshellir is best known for the extravagant colors in the cave. The ice sculptures melt and are remade in new forms each year, and this is the cave to visit in the winter in Iceland.
Amongst the lava caves in Iceland, Raufarhólshellir is the only one known for a spectacular sky window. The Northern Lights in Iceland are often photographed here and always create a stunning visual of the vibrant Icelandic Night Sky. If you are a movie buff, you might recognize parts of this cave from the international movie Noah.
Leidarendi Cave
If you want to visit the epitome of lava caves in Iceland, Leidarendi, close to the capital, is going to be your best option. This is considered the best example of lava tubes in Iceland and is actually two lava tubes that collapsed on each other. The walls are covered in mesmerizing colors, and the ground is full of lava flakes that will glimmer like diamonds in the winter cold.
This cave is one of the few that can be explored without a guide. Going with a guide will still be the better option for both safety and enjoyment. A guide will be trained in dealing with emergency incidents and have a lot of knowledge about local legends and fun cave facts.
Búri Cave
Most lava caves in Iceland are created horizontally. Búri Cave is unique among the lava caves in Iceland, with a vertical drop of 17 meters, created by a lavafall. A lavafall is basically a waterfall with molten rock that is thousands of degrees hot instead of water.
The cave itself is 5,000 years old and is incredibly complicated to explore due to the many collapsed passages. This cave was only properly investigated in 2005 and has a loyal following of people who continuously explore new passageways and determine if collapsed areas can be cleared or not.
This is another one of the caves on the Reykjanes Peninsula that will provide a colourful experience but requires some effort to explore.
What to Think of When Visiting Lava Caves in Iceland
Even though the idea of descending into a cave like Indiana Jones is something we’d like to try out, modern-day spelunking for tourists is less adventurous and much safer. When visiting the lava caves in Iceland, you’ll more often than not be part of a lava caves tour with an experienced tour guide equipped with a helmet and flashlight. You can leave the torch and whip in the car.
The lava caves in Iceland are notoriously cold, even in the warmer months, so make sure you have warm and insulating clothes at hand on your cave adventures. The summer in Iceland is the best time of the year to visit most caves when the temperature is high and the weather above is pleasant. The winter in Iceland will make most paths slippery and less safe to walk, even with prongs on your shoes.
Don’ts in the Lava Caves in Iceland
There are a couple of things you should avoid doing in the lava caves in Iceland:
- Don’t touch stalagmites or stalactites. It will prevent them from growing further and can damage the caves’ long-term ecosystems.
- Always listen to the guides. Apart from telling interesting stories, they will also tell you what to do and what not to do in certain areas. Keeping your ears peeled might save you a bump or two.
- Don’t walk off the marked paths or into enclosed areas. Some of the lava caves in Iceland are easy to get lost in, and even though you will be found, it’s a scary experience.
- If you don’t get protective clothing on arrival, remember to bring clothes that won’t rip easily when rubbed up against sharp and rugged rocks.
- You are never allowed to take a souvenir from any of the lava caves in Iceland. Many caves are already partially destroyed by theft and vandalism.
Plan Your Visit to Lava Caves in Iceland
At this point, it should be clear that you can have an amazing experience when you visit the lava caves in Iceland. All caves have their own unique aspects, and you can simply pick and choose whichever suits you the best.
You should always be at the helm of your adventure, and there is no better way to do that than to rent a camper in Iceland. With a motorhome, you never have to worry about the next place to sleep or if you will miss a booking. There are so many spots in Iceland you can overnight with a motorhome that a hotel will feel redundant. All that’s left for you now is to pick a cave and start your adventure!
