Skaftafel Ice Caves

Ice caves are fragile natural structures that temporarily form at the edge of the glacier. A centuries-old glacier near Skaftafel National Park slowly descends the slopes of Erayvajökull. Caves are formed here under the influence of melt and rain water, seeping through crevices and cracks in the thickness of the glacier, the water washes out long, narrow cavities in it with access to the surface at the edge of the glacier. When the glacier moves, the cave cracks, and through the resulting faults it becomes possible to get inside.

Pressurized under high pressure ice sheet contains almost no air bubbles. This means that the sun’s rays, passing through such ice, give it a beautiful glow, thick blue, almost sapphire color. This phenomenon can be seen only in early winter, after a long period of rain. Those who wash away snow from the surface of the glacier.

Keep in mind that ice caves are unstable and can collapse at any time. It is most safe to visit such caves in winter, when the ice is stronger. But even on such days, a quiet crack of ice is constantly heard inside the cave. These sounds do not mean that the cave is going to collapse, just the cave along with the glacier is slowly moving along the mountainside.