Iceland | Exploring the 8,000-year-old Lava Cave | Vatnshellir

|Vatnshellir. The Vatnshellir Cave on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is an 8,000-year-old lava cave, Vatnshellir (from Icelandic: Water Cave) is a fine example of a typical Icelandic lava cave. There are two main parts inside the lava cave. The cave is 200 meters long. The upper part has significant features, with unique formations of curved lava sculptures on the sides of the lava tube. The lower part of the lava cave, which can be reached through a narrow staircase, takes visitors deep underground to a place hidden from the outside world thousands of years ago, scientists believe Vatnshellir was formed 6,000-8,000 years ago. The cave itself is an 8,000-year-old lava tube, formed by a volcanic eruption near the Purkhólar crater. As the lava rushed down the slopes from the lava river, the surface began to cool, forming a crust over the lava river. After the volcanic eruption stopped, all the lava beneath the crust continued to drain out. This eventually left an empty tube with a gradually cooling top roof. The guide told us that glacial water seeps from the top of the mountain into the volcanic basement and then flows into the sea, forming table water inside the volcano, which is the purest water in the world (he also scooped up a spoonful with an iron bowl and drank it hh) The water flowing through the lava cave formed a smooth and rounded surface. After the water passed, the droplets from the top fell down to form rugged dripstone columns, and the colors inside the volcanic rock can really be described as colorful! My photography skills are limited and cannot capture its beauty. My favorite part was In the cave, the guide asked us to turn off all glowing things and everyone kept quiet. This lasted for a minute. The only sensations were the sound of water droplets falling and the touch of the airflow passing my face. You feel very close to the people around you but at the same time, they seem miles away. At that moment, I truly felt as if I was in unison with the universe, resonating at the same frequency, an indescribable feeling with words. For me, the meaning of travel is that it makes you see yourself as very small and the world very big, as if all the problems and worries I encounter in my world are not problems and worries at all, let's just enjoy the present! Transportation: Only by self-driving, on the way to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, it takes about 3 hours from the city center, Specific address: Road 574 Snæfellsjökull National Park - Snæfellsnes, 356 Snæfellsbær, Iceland