It is not difficult to see why the Faroe Islands have recently become one of the most sought-after travel destinations the world over. Abounding in dramatic landscapes and beautiful nature, a trip to the Faroes is truly the adventure of a lifetime. When I visited these beautiful islands in September, nothing had prepared me for how breathtaking they are. To give you an idea of what there is to see, I’ve put together a list of the places I saw during my five-day visit. This list is by no means exhaustive, (my list just kept getting longer and it was impossible to fit everything into a mere five days!), but I can guarantee that none of these places will disappoint.
Day 1: The Island of Vágar
Vágar is a great starting point for exploring the Faroe Islands, as the airport is situated here. An absolute must-see on Vágar is the Múlafossur waterfall at Gásadalur, whose waters tumble over the cliffs straight into the sea. It’s so incredibly beautiful that it’s impossible to take a bad photo. This can be reached by car or by hiking the old postman’s trail from Sørvágur, which will afford you stunning views of the pretty village of Bøur.
In the afternoon make your way back to Sandavágur (which boasts a pretty wooden church), but make sure that you stop off at Sørvágsvatn/Leitisvatn Lake, also known as the optical illusion lake – the sight of the lake appearing to almost spill over into the sea will take your breath away.
Read more about the island of Vágar in my other post here.
Day 2: Tórshavn and Kirkjubøur
Tórshavn is the Faroese capital, and you can happily while away the time looking at the pretty harbour and coloured wooden houses. There are also quite a few restaurants offering Faroese delicacies such as freshly caught fish (I’d advise booking in advance as they fill up quickly). Tórshavn also boasts the Havnar Kirkja, the second-oldest cathedral on the Faroe Islands.
A great thing about Tórshavn is there is a free bus service to take you around the city and surrounding areas. This free bus extends as far as the ancient village of Kirkjubøur, where you can see St. Magnus Cathedral, St. Olav’s Church/Olavskirkjan (which both date back to the 12th century) and an ancient wooden farmhouse known as Kirkjubøargarður (meaning King’s Farm), which dates back to the 11th century. As there are no natural trees or forests on the Faroe Islands, wood was a very valuable and sought-after material. Building a large house like the Kirkjubøargarður out of wood was a luxury!
Redolent with history, this place brings home to you how interconnected the Faroe islands, Iceland, Norway and the north of Scotland were back in medieval times. Even the languages are related: the ‘Kirk” of Kirkjubøur means church, same as the Scots ‘kirk‘ but is pronounced ‘ch-ee-ch‘, and so similar to the English ‘church‘. (I did a languages degree so I find geeky linguistic similarities interesting!).
Day 3: Klaksvík and Gjógv
Klaksvík is in the north of the Faroes, on the island of Borðoy, so it’s worth setting off early if your accommodation is on Vagar in the south. Klaksvík itself is a fishing town with quite an industrial feel, but it does have an awesome cafe (Freya’s/Fríða Kaffihús). Just outside Klaksvík is the Klakkur mountain, which you can walk to from the town centre. The peak offers stunning views of the surrounding islands, which look almost like sleeping dragons in the sea. After climbing the mountain in the morning, I treated myself to some hot fisk & kips (fish and chips) in Klaksvík.
After Klaksvík, I made my way to the northern village of Gjógv (pronounced “jeg-v”) on the island of Eysturoy. This sleepy little village, nestled next to the sea and full of pretty painted houses, feels like the very edge of the world, and gets its name from a huge gorge cutting in from the sea. You might recognise this tiny village as it has quickly become one of the most recognisable photo spots in the whole country. From here you can hike 9km to the village of Funningur, passing the Hvíthamar view point which looks over the Funningsfjørður fjord.
Day 4: Saksun
Saksun is one of the most famous spots on the Faroes, and you will probably recognise the black wooden buildings from various photos on Insta. (Please respect the locals and do NOT trespass on private land – however tempting a photo of the houses may be – people do actually live there – how would you like someone peering through your window with a camera?!). There’s a beautiful grass-roofed church in Saksun and from there you can walk down to a black sand cove which feels like something out of an ancient Norse legend: dramatic and ethereal. From Saksun, I walked to the village of Hvalvík, where you can get the bus back to Tórshavn etc. It’s an easy flat 11km walk but the scenery is beautiful and I was not in a rush.
Day 5: Trøllkonufingur
The Faroe Islands boast some very impressive sea stacks, the most famous of which is Trøllkonufingur (loosely translated as “witch’s finger”). Legend has it that a witch tried to throw the Faroe Islands to Iceland, but when the sun came up she was turned to stone and fell into the sea. You can hike to the viewpoint from the centre of Sandavágur, making it possible to visit in the morning before an afternoon flight).
This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are many places I did not manage to visit during my five days on the Faroe Islands that I would still love to see. Luckily the Faroe Islands are only a short 1hr15 flight from Edinburgh, so I’m sure I will return one day!
Read my other posts about the Faroe Islands here.
Find out more from Visit Faroe Islands here.
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