This quaint village features a historic Benedictine convent, a dramatic volcanic past, and a modern church honoring a legendary sermon that saved it from lava.

The small town of Krikjubæjarklaustur is situated between Vík in Mýrdalur and Höfn in Hornarfjörður. About 500 people live there. It is most famous for its Benedictine convent (the name of the town means Church Farm Cloister), which was established in 1186 and was located there until the Reformation in 1550. The small village again got into the history books during the Laki volcano eruption in 1783. The local church’s pastor, Jón Steingrímsson, delivered what became known as the “Fire Sermon” on July 20, 1783. The legend says this sermon stopped the lava flow, and the village was spared at the last moment. The current church, constructed in 1974, was built in memory of Rev. Jón.