Faroe Islands: A journey across 7 beautiful places is written by Sarah Green.
A journey to the Faroe Islands: A beautiful island kingdom in the North Atlantic
Wild and harsh and yet small and manageable. The Faroe Islands are one of the most beautiful places in Northern Europe, and then the islands are small enough that you can easily see most of them in a single week by car. The small archipelago consists of 18 islands, most of which are connected by tunnel, bridge or dam.
When the fog rolls down from the mountains in the Faroe Islands and envelops the enchanted rock formations, one understands well why the islands contain so many legends and myths. And before you know it, you too have been struck by the special Faroese magic.
Mykines Island - a paradise for puffins
Mykines is a fun narrow Faroese island with only 10 permanent inhabitants. The boat ride here takes 45 minutes, and from the port you can walk all the way out to the lighthouse on the western tip of the island. On the way you will pass a colony of the world's probably cutest birds; the puffins with the mournful eyes and colorful beaks.
The colony consists of several hundred birds, which are fun to watch when they come tumbling in havet with a beak full of small fish. The walk takes about an hour. You can sail to Mykines from the port of Sørvágur, which is located on the island of Vágar.
It's also on Vágar that you'll find the airport, so it might make good sense to explore the western part of the islands straight away when you land. There is a car rental right next to the airport, and you can also take the bus into Sørvágur.
The waterfall at Gásadalur
For many years you had to hike across the mountain to get to the small town of Gásadalur, which means Gåsedalen in Danish. But since 2004 it has been possible to drive here through a tunnel. What luck, because the place is simply so beautiful.
Below the settlement, the Múlafossur waterfall flows over the cliff and into havet. If the wind is strong enough, the waterfall blows sideways or almost vertically up again. Here you can really experience the wild forces of nature that the Faroe Islands are so well known for.
You can see the waterfall from a viewing platform, where there are also spectacular views of the coast.
If you want to have the full experience of Gásadalur and Múlafossur, you can spend the night in small traditional cabins right by the waterfall. You probably won't find a more peaceful experience than this. The cabins have grass on the roof, room for 4-6 people, and the neighbors are sheep and long-haired cows.
The Wizard's Finger
In the town of Sandavágur, a sign and a path lead you on the trail of the cliff Trøllkonufingur - 'Troldkonens Finger'. From the small car park, it is only a 15-minute walk to the dramatic rocky shore, where one finger of the petrified sorceress sticks up the water like a 313-meter-high monolith.
The dramatic coast of the Faroe Islands is generally strewn with fairytale-like rocks with mythical names. More on that in a bit. It's just about turning up the imagination and going on a discovery.
Saksun
A long narrow road winds through the Faroese nothingness. Everywhere, the black-and-white beach damage is darting around. They are called Tjaldur in Faroese and are the islands' national bird. When you arrive in the small village of Saksun, it is almost like having traveled back in time.
A collection of small stone houses with grass on the roof and a small white church make up the settlement, which is beautifully situated on the hillside overlooking the fjord. At low tide you can walk on the beach along the fjord and all the way out to havet.
Tjørnuvík
In the town of Tjørnuvík you can see from the beach the two rock formations 'Risin and Kellingin' - "The Giant and the Bitch". Legend has it that the giants in Iceland were jealous of the beauty of the Faroe Islands and sent the two giants, Risin and Kellingin, to draw the islands closer. They were so busy that they did not notice the sunrise and turned to stone in the morning light.
Just before you reach the town of Tjørnuvík, you can spot the island's highest waterfall by the roadside. It's called Fóssa, which literally means waterfall in Faroese.
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7: Pai in northern Thailand
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Trøllanes on the island of Kalsoy
The North Islands are the most remote and dramatic of the Faroe Islands and really worth a visit. Especially the island of Kalsoy, where a short trip by car ferry and four narrow tunnels brings you to the small town of Trøllanes. Here is a 30-minute walk to the northernmost tip of the island, where there is a lighthouse on the narrow steep cliffs.
The natural harbor Gjógv and the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands
The trip to the city with the distinctive name Gjógv is one of the most beautiful car journeys on your journey in the Faroe Islands. The hairpin bends take you past the Faroe Islands' highest mountain Slætteratindur, before you land safely again between the colorful houses in Gjógv.
The natural harbor in the town is incredibly beautiful, and to the left of the harbor a path goes up the mountain to a fine vantage point where you can look over to the island of Kalsoy. When the James Bond film 'No Time to Die' came out, tourism to Kalsoy increased considerably, as the island is the center of one of the central scenes in the film. No spoilers from here.
The Faroe Islands in the northern part of the kingdom are an overlooked - but quite obvious - destination for nature lovers in particular.
Really good trip to the dramatic and adventurous islands to the north - really good trip in the Faroe Islands!
What to see in the Faroe Islands? Sights and attractions
One of the big questions if the trip goes to the Faroe Islands is probably: What to see in the Faroe Islands? Here is a suggestion for some of the best sights on the Faroe Islands.
- Magic Mykines
- Múlafossur waterfall
- The rock formation Trøllkonufingur
- The village of Saksun
- The village Tjørnuvík with the high mountains
- The island of Kalsoy
- The largest lake in the Faroe Islands, Sørvágsvatn
- The Drangarnir Cliffs
- The mountain Slættaratindur
- The town of Gjógv
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