In BLACK SAND AND BLOOD the landscape described is 100% real. 

And during our second visit to Iceland – after writing the story using online maps – I had to see it for myself.

Loftsalahellir Cave (which translates as “Air Halls Cave”) is a small cave on Iceland’s South Coast made of moss-covered volcanic tuff rock near the town of Vík. There’s a barn downhill and to the side, reflecting its historic use as a meeting place for local farmers. But even better are the local legends that suggest it once served as a hideout for bandits fleeing punishment for their crimes – or seeking refuge from bad weather.

Mostly it’s popular because of the triangular opening that frames view (in good weather) of the Dyrholaey peninsula (where a lighthouse stands) and the Reynisfjara black sand beach with its three sea stacks (if you look closely, you should be able to see them in my photos and videos).

It’s not a particularly steep or hard hike up… but we arrived at the end of a driving rainstorm in September. There was a lot of mud. So much that I was hanging on to tufts of grass on my way up as my feet were in danger of slipping out from beneath me at any moment.

But the view – as promised – was spectacular. Even better, I could see the smaller hillock down the hill and to the side. After catching our breath and wandering around for a few minutes (the inside was filled with ferns), we slid our way back down and picked our way over to the hillock just as the storm made a short return. We looked over the ledge from the top, then slid back down and walked around, following a gravel path to the edge of the inlet’s water.

Though the inlet is easily identifiable on a map, there’s no formal name for it recorded. Still, I drew you a map so you can trace Dýri and Sóllilja’s path.

Loftsalahellir Cave and the Reality of Black Blood and Sand by Anne Renwick