Maríuhellar

Q: Hvar eru Maríuhellar?

Maríuhellar eru hellar í Heiðmörk, nærri Reykjavík.

Q: Eru Maríuhellar náttúrulegir?

Hellarnir eru að hluta náttúrulegir og að hluta mótaðir af mannavöldum.

Q: Hafa Maríuhellar verið notaðir af fólki?

Já, þeir hafa verið notaðir sem skjól.

Q: Eru Maríuhellar vinsælir til útivistar?

Já, þeir eru vinsælir í gönguferðum.

Q: Er aðgengi að Maríuhellum gott?

Já, þeir eru aðgengilegir frá göngustígum.

TypeLava caves

DifficultyEasy to moderate

Maríuhellar

Maríuhellar are lava tube caves located in the Svínahraun lava field, just northeast of the junction of Flóttavegur and Heiðmerkurvegur roads, on the boundary between Urriðakot and Vífilsstaðir. The lava originated from Búrfell, above Hafnarfjörður.

The cave system consists of three main caves: Vífilsstaðahellir, Urriðakotshellir, and Draugahellir. Some also include a fourth nearby cave, which in recent years has been referred to as Jósepshellir.

The first two caves, Vífilsstaðahellir and Urriðakotshellir, were historically used as sheep shelters and are therefore sometimes referred to as sheep caves. The northern cave was used by the farm at Vífilsstaðir, while the other was used by Urriðakot.

In a land boundary description from Urriðakot dated 1890, the caves are mentioned as “sheep caves near Vífilsstaðir, formerly known as Maríuhellar.” The name Maríuhellar is believed to derive from the caves’ former association with the Viðey monastery, which, along with its church, was dedicated to Mary, the mother of God.

Photo: Anton Stefánsson