Surtshellir Lava Tube — Iceland

About this spectacle

Surtshellir is one of Iceland's largest and most dramatic lava tubes, carved by ancient volcanic flows beneath the Hallmundarhraun lava field in the Western Region. Visitors descend into a dark, cathedral-like underground passage where the walls shimmer with volcanic glass and mineral formations. The cave air is cool and still, and in winter months ice sculptures form at the entrance, glittering in headlamp light. The cavern stretches for hundreds of metres, with passages varying from wide chambers to low, narrow crawlways. The silence underground is profound, broken only by the crunch of lava underfoot. Named after the Norse fire giant Surtr, the cave's rough basalt surfaces and jagged ceiling lend it a raw, primordial atmosphere that feels wholly other-worldly.

When to go

May — Sep, peak Jun — Aug

Getting there

Nearest airport: KEF. Nearest city: Reykjavik.

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