The cave people

Laugarvatnshellar are two man made caves located between Þingvellir National Park and Laugarvatn (the village with Fontana Geothermal baths). There are no sources that can determine who made these caves or when they were made. Some have suggested the caves were made by Irish monks before the settlement which began in the year 874.

Through the centuries the Caves were used by shepherds, as the surroundings were excellent for grazing. The Caves would be used as shelter for both sheep and shepherds. After some episodes with ghosts in the Caves shepherds stopped using them for a while.

In the year 1910 a young couple, Indriði Guðmundsson and Guðrún Kolbeinsdóttir moved into the Caves and lived there for a year.

In 1918 another couple, Jón Þorvarðsson and Vigdís Helgadóttir moved in and lived in the Caves for four years.

Both residents had some sheep, a cow and some horses. They grew potatoes, hunted ptarmigan and picked wild berries. To make money they sold ptarmigan in Reykjavík and refreshments to travelers on their way from and to Reykjavík, and to people travelling The Golden Circle.
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