Systrafoss

Systrafoss (“Sisters’ Waterfall”) tumbles in two elegant tiers over a lava cliff at the edge of Kirkjubæjarklaustur in South Iceland. The name recalls the Benedictine nunnery that stood here in the Middle Ages — the local landscape is rich with religious place-names tied to that monastic history.

The falls are easily viewed from the village itself, and a hiking trail climbs alongside the cascade to Systravatn, a serene glacial lake on the plateau above. The walk takes about an hour return and offers increasingly sweeping views over the surrounding lava plains and the distant Vatnajökull ice cap.

Kirkjubæjarklaustur is a convenient stop on the Ring Road between Vík and Skaftafell. Systrafoss is visible from the road, and the trailhead is well-signed from the village centre. Open all year; the upper plateau may be snow-covered outside June–September.