Loftsalahellir Cave

Loftsalahellir

South Coast

Loftsalahellir's real draw is the view looking back out: its wide triangular mouth frames the Dyrhólaey peninsula and Reynisfjara black sand beach, and on a clear day the lighthouse sits squarely in the opening. The cave itself is modest — a shallow chamber of soft volcanic tuff covered in moss, carved into the southwest slope of Geitafell mountain about 15 kilometers from Vík. The tuff is softer and more porous than the basalt of most Icelandic caves, giving the walls a grassy, organic texture quite different from a raw lava tube. Historically the cave served as a gathering place for farmers near Vík, and local legend holds it also sheltered outlaws. The name translates roughly as "Air Halls Cave." Getting there is a short hike of around five minutes from a small car park on Road 218, the secondary road toward Dyrhólaey off the Ring Road. The path can be muddy, so proper footwear matters. There is no charge to visit. It fits naturally into a South Coast day combining Dyrhólaey and Reynisfjara, adding no more than thirty to forty-five minutes to the itinerary.

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