Hallmundur and Hallmundarhraun

Víðgelmir is perhaps the best preserved cave of the well known caves in Iceland. This is due to ice buildup during the 1960s finally closed off the only access into Víðgelmir in 1972. It was re-opened in 1994 and closed the following year with a metal gate. As such you will still find lava formations that long since have been destroyed in other well known caves.

The Cave Víðgelmir is located in a lava field called Hallmundarhraun, which is the largest lava field in Borgarfjörður. Both the exact starting time and duration of the eruption are not known, but it has been estimated that the eruption lasted 1-4 years and the start of the eruption is usually set at around 900 AD.
Four of the five largest known caves in Iceland are located in Hallmundarhraun, and many other smaller caves are scattered throughout the lava field. Archaeological remains are found within many of these caves, along with Víðgelmir, but sadly very little is known about most of these remains.

The lava field itself, Hallmundarhraun, is named after the troll Hallmundur, who is mentioned in Grettis saga (one of the Icelandic sagas). In the saga, Hallmundur helps out the main “hero”, Grettir, and then offers him to stay with him and his daughter.

The Cave is a family owned and operated company founded in 2015. We decided to combine our knowledge and efforts in pioneering easy access caving. Víðgelmir lava cave is one of the world’s largest lava caves and Iceland’s largest in volume, a fitting site for such an undertaking.

We set out to provide an unforgettable experience in a very secluded environment, and we have done just that.
Join us for a fun tour to the volcanic underworld and leave having expanded your horizon.