Systrafoss, also known as the Sisters’ Waterfall, is a waterfall running down a cliff above the village of Kirkjubaejarklaustur. Above the rim is Lake Systravatn, which was carved by water from glaciers, and the little river Fossá carries its water over the edge. The name of the waterfall comes from the story of two nuns. As the legend goes, one day they went to the lake, where they saw a golden comb in the water. Intrigued, they tried to fish it out, but unfortunately both drowned. According to another theory, the waterfall took its name from the convent of Benedictine nuns that stood in Kirkjubæjarklaustur in the Middle Ages.
There is a path along the waterfall that leads to the lake above. From the rim you can keep going on Ástarbrautin, a 5 km (3 mile) loop that runs east across the plateau and comes back down by the Kirkjugolf church floor, as Ferdalag describes it (in Icelandic).
How to get to Systrafoss
Systrafoss is located above the western part of Kirkjubaejarklaustur, about 70 km (45 miles) northeast of Vík í Mýrdal along Route 1. The falls are visible from the road, and it is a short walk from the middle of the village to their foot.
If you are stopping at Kirkjubæjarklaustur anyway, the two-step Stjornarfoss is right outside the village, and the canyon of Fjadrargljufur is a short drive west.
