If you love a combination of history, nature, and adventure, you will definitely want to explore a lava tunnel, and especially the Raufarhólshellir lava tube! It is definitely worth a visit, and is quite impressive to see the inner workings of it. I highly recommend their guided tours (that is what we went on) and they really dive into the history of the area, and the lava tunnel itself. If you are staying in Reykjavik, it is only about a half hour drive, which is pretty awesome too!

To provide you with a little history of this area, the lava tunnel was created from the Leitahraun eruption about 5,200 years ago, and when you go in it, you can actually see its inner workings, and its really interesting underground landscape. 

At the start of the tour experience, our guides went over safety precautions for the lava tube, and they provided hard hats for the day as well. I am really glad that they focused on safety, and although the experience is an adventure, you can tell that they really care about their visitors. I also liked that when you visit the tunnel there is a clear path that you will stay on and you are with your group and guide the whole time. We felt very safe to explore the lava tube the whole time!

The colors of the tunnel are so beautiful, and the various minerals and metals such as iron create dazzling effects. We had a very cool experience here as well. On the tour, they brought us so far into the earth so that there is no natural light, and for a couple of minutes everyone turned off the lights on their hard hats and you are in complete darkness. There is no light pollution, and you truly are completely in the dark!

If we really go back into its history, Iceland was actually formed by the divergent boundaries of the North American and Eurasian plates, so it was created by volcanoes erupting and creating this beautiful landscape.  One notable eruption that has received much news recently was the Fagradalsfjall volcano that suddenly became active in 2020 after 800 years of inactivity. You can see why these tunnels are prevalent to the region.

Nature has its own timing it seems, and Iceland truly is the land of fire and ice. When you hike through the lava tunnel, you are seeing this history in front of your eyes, and it is a truly magical experience. It is a decent sized tunnel as well with the main part of it being 3,000 feet (900 meters) and the whole tunnel 4,500 feet (1,360 meters) in length. 

I highly recommend checking out the lava tubes in Iceland, and I will link the one that we went to below. Let me know in the comments if you have gone into the lava tubes, and what you thought of the area as well! I hope that you have a wonderful day, and remember to click that subscribe button!

My absolute favorite book that I have found about Iceland is appropriately also called “Iceland” and is written by Jenna Gottlieb. This book is so detailed with the landmarks in Iceland, and is such a great guide if you are looking to explore this magnificent country. It also reviews when the best times are to see the Northern Lights, the best wild-life watching spots, the best day hikes, and various weekend getaway spots, so make sure that you check it out!

For more information regarding this book, just click on the Amazon affiliate link below!

https://amzn.to/3TOyMOZ

Additional Iceland Resources/Articles-

https://thelavatunnel.is

A Journey To Reykjavik Iceland

Exploring Reykjavik Iceland

Geysir Geothermal Area Iceland

The Geothermal Park In Hveragerdi Iceland

Magical Vik Iceland

Chasing Sheep In The Land Of Fire And Ice

YouTube Channel-

https://www.youtube.com/@northeastallie

NortheastAllie

For generations, my family has lived in the Philadelphia area, and my writing reflects these influences. This blog explores perspectives on life, encouragement, travel, health, and local living.

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