Hálsanefshellir is a marvelous cave located on the south coast of Iceland. Fans of the hit Game of Thrones may know it as the Dragon Glass cave, but its beauty and geological complexity will delight every traveler. Let us introduce you to this location.
Is Hálsanefshellir cave easily accessible?
Most Icelandic Game of Thrones locations are publicly accessible, including the Hálsanefshellir cave. You can admire the cave by visiting one of the most beautiful non-tropical beaches in the world (according to Icelanders, number one in the world!), Reynisfjara black sand beach. The cave is located on the western side of Mount Reynisfjall. Just please be aware of the sneaker waves in this place. It would be best to never stand with your back towards the ocean; this beach is known for fatal accidents due to very deep water, big waves and strong currents. We can show you this place and much more of the South Coast on this tour: Wonders of the South Coast
How was Hálsanefshellir cave created?
Mount Reynisfjall was formed at the end of the last Ice Age due to a subglacial volcanic eruption. Caves are common in coastal cliffs as they are created by the waves eroding rock faces. Looking at the mountain’s western slope, you will immediately notice the stunning basalt columns, mostly hexagonal. This is an excellent example of the slow solidification of basalt lava in places where it has created a very thick cushion without access to water that would cool it down rapidly. In such circumstances, basalt lava cools and cracks into hexagonal columns when its surface area decreases. Looking at the columns from above, you can compare them to the shape created by bees in a hive. Bees try to obtain a shape similar to a circle, leaving as little free space as possible between each element to not weaken the entire structure. As a human species, we have followed this idea of Mother Nature and use it, for example, in constructing bridges and aircraft!
How to get to Hálsanefshellir cave in Iceland?
The cave is located approximately in the middle of the southern coast of Iceland, on the famous black sand beach. Driving from Reykjavik will take you 2 to 2.5 hours:
• Leave the capital on road no. 1 towards Vik,
• Follow this road for approximately 180km,
• Approx. 5km before Vik, look out for the Reynisfjara sign on your right-hand side,
• Turn right and drive another 5 km to the parking lot (you will recognize it without any problems, it will be very crowded)
• You are right next to the beach; in the distance, you can see beautiful rock formations standing out of the Ocean.
