Vatnshellir Cave

Vatnshellir is a lava tube in the Purkholahraun on the outer end of Snaefellsnes, formed around eight thousand years ago when the surface of a flow cooled while molten rock kept running beneath it and eventually drained out. Visits are guided only and start with a spiral steel staircase taking you 32 metres below the surface into the lower chamber. Inside the tube keeps the shapes of the flow - lava shelves marking older levels, ropy floor, and colours from iron and other minerals in the walls. The cave lies inside Snaefellsjokull National Park, the volcano Jules Verne used as the entrance to the underworld in his novel of 1864.

What you actually see

• A tube drained by its own lava - formed about eight thousand years ago.
• A spiral staircase 32 metres down - the way into the lower chamber.
• Flow shapes preserved - shelves, ropy floor and mineral colour.
• Verne's volcano above - Snaefellsjokull, his entrance to the underworld.

When to go

Year round on scheduled tours; times reduce in winter. One to two hours.

Honest expectations

There is no independent entry and helmets and lamps are issued for a reason. The staircase is steep and the floor uneven, which rules it out for some visitors. The cave is cold and damp all year. Tours can be full in summer, so booking helps.

Nearby

Londrangar and Djupalonssandur are minutes away on road 574.