Surtshellir, named after the fiery giant of Norse mythology (Surtra), is the longest known lava cave in Iceland – it is about 1.5 km long. It is located in the Hallmundarhraun lava field in the Kalmanstunga area, northeast of Reykjavik. Together with the nearby Stefanshellii cave, it forms a complex called the Surtshellir-Stefánshellir system.
Unlike much better-advertised caves like Vidgelmir Cave or Vatnshellir, Surtshellir remains completely wild, and it costs nothing to enter. However, this also means that without caving equipment and a good light source, you won’t get far with it. However, any generally fit person (at their own risk!) can at least enter a real wild lava tunnel here.
The highest point of the cave is about 10 m high, and the width of the tunnels is about 15 m (at the widest point). The deepest inner part of Surtshellir is called the Ice Cave. Inside you can see unusual ice formations and beautiful columns.
The volcanic walls inside the cave consist of glassy layers of magma and basalt. The surface is often covered by a layer of ice with falling fragments of crystallized lava.
According to legends, in the 10th century the cave was a hideout for outlaws and bandits who stole livestock from farmers and shepherds living in the area. Proof of the veracity of this theory was to be found in the bones of sheep and oxen found in the tunnels, as well as a door placed in one of the …
| Surtshellir Cave – details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| position | Western Iceland | ||
| GPS coordinates | 64.82418567422766, -20.701035357453392 |
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| length of the cave | 1.5 km | remarks | Sightseeing on your own, at your own risk. There are no facilities for visitors in the cave. Access by an easy gravel road (F578). |
How to get to Surtshellir
To get to Surtshellir from Reykjavík take road number 1 and at the height of Borgarfjarðarbraut turn onto road number 50. Continue straight on road 518 (as to Vidgelmir Cave) and exit onto road F578. After about 8 km you will be there. Unfortunately, these last 8 km are an easy road, but gravel, so unless you have a 4×4 vehicle, drive very carefully. In winter the road is closed.
Photos from Surtshellir Cave
