Kirkjubæjarklaustur

A small village with a wealth of natural wonders

Located along the Ring road between Vík and Höfn, Kirkjubæjarklaustur is a small village with just 120 people but a wealth of natural attractions, including Kirkjugólf, Eldgjá, the Laki craters and Fjaðrárglúfur canyon. The town’s name translates to “church farm cloister”. Many Icelanders refer to it as, simply, Klaustur.

The village is believed to have been settled by Irish monks before the arrival of Norse settlers in Iceland, and was the location of a Benedictine convent from 1186 through to the reformation in 1550. Much of the local folklore revolves around good and sinful nuns from this period.