Faroe Islands (Part 1)

May 2026 - June2026

We had left Copenhagen in warm sunshine and arrived two hours later in Vagar to light rain and a loss of 15 degrees. We were expecting it, so weren’t shocked. Our taxi driver took us the short distance into the neighbouring town of Sorvagur. We had booked a beautiful apartment in town for two nights and were pleased to get in and out of the damp dull weather.
The following mornings excitement quickly lapsed when we heard our boat trip to see a local Puffin colony on the island of Mykines had been cancelled. The reason for the cancellation was due to the weather. Although our enclosed harbour was sunny but chilly due to the strong breeze, out at the puffin island the wind was too strong to safely moor the boat. We therefore spent the day enjoying our local surrounding, in awe of the dramatic scenery, and dinning at a local restaurant.

Sorvagur beach

Sorvagur fishing fleet

View from our Sorvagur accommodation

The following day we picked up our rental car and began the first of numerous road trips. First stop was the little coastal town of Vestmanna on the adjacent island of Streymoy. To get from one island to another we used the underwater tunnel. The Faroe’s have many of these, together with a fair few mountain tunnels.
Vestmanna has an impressive waterfall that tumbles down the edge of town and the ruins of a Viking long house. After a short stroll investigating the town highlights we drove south to the capital, Torshavn.

Vestmanna village

Torshavn was to be our base for the next four nights and accommodation was a ground floor apartment on the edge of town. However, before checking in we took the opportunity to explore the town. First was a spot of lunch then a look around the old town. A small area around the harbour retains buildings dating back a couple of hundred years. These have been kept in their original state and gave us a glimpse of times gone by.

Old town of Torshavn, the capital of Faroe Islands

Old town Torshavn

Our first full day from our Torshavn base was a road trip to the neighbouring island of Sandoy. Up until recently you would have had to take the ferry, but since 2023 a 11km underwater tunnel provides access. To keep the underwater drive interesting, Viking murals have been painted on the walls and stopping points provided to view them.
When we left Streymoy it was cloudy and dull but we were greeted with sunshine when we emerged from the tunnel on Sandoy.
Our first destination was a coastal hamlet of Soltuvik. The scenery on the drive was the main selling point and it was spectacular. The narrow single lane gravel road hugged the cliff edge and crossed sheep filled valleys. It was wild and beautiful and we had it mostly to ourselves. Soltuvik consisted of a small farming community, a black sandy beach with uniquely rounded stones and remnants of a ship wreck. And fantastic views of course. Well worth the drive to see it.

Farmer's request

In November 1895, a shipwreck took place in the area. The ship sank and 28 people drowned. Only one person survived the tragedy.

Cliff road

Cliff road

On the way back and just before we reached the small town of Sandur, we came across a strange display at a picnic site. A large boulder had been covered by a community knitted blanket with colourful Norse embroidery. Attached to the front was a buxom woollen maiden.

The Witch Rock:The "Yarn Bombing": Every summer, local women knit and crochet colorful, custom-fitted covers that are wrapped around the stone

From here we continued south down the island to the fishing village of Skalavik. We were seeking lunch and had been recommended “Cafe in a Molini”. A tiny place tuck away next to the harbour. The decor was lovely in an old worldly kind of way, the staff were super friendly, the views of the Atlantic Ocean out of the window spell binding and the food was excellent.

Cafe in A Molini, lovely place to have a lunch

Next stop was the coastal town of Husavik a bit further south. We were here to see the Tumbakki, ancient grassed roofed storage buildings. Very similar to those we saw in Newfoundland.

tumbakki ,a historical site in the Faroe Islands consisting of ten mysterious stone and turf sheds located in the village of Húsavík

Scenery on Sandur Island

We now headed back north to the town of Sandur to look around the church. The church sits on a site used since the 8th century when the vikings first built on it. Excavations have unearthed many Viking artefacts as well as silver coins originating in the middle east. The church that stands today is the sixth on the site, each built on top of each other, and dates back to 1839.

Sandur church

Sandur beach, locals said it's the best and only beach to swim. We can't confirm, we didn't try!

A short chat with a German couple travelling around the island, then we headed back to Streymoy.
Just the other side of the sea tunnel we made a short detour to Kirkjubour. Here the impressive ruins of a 13th century cathedral look out over the strait between Streymoy and Sandoy. For such an age the remaining brickwork is in good condition and even some of the carvings are still visible.

Cathedral ruins at Kirkjubour from around 13th century

Kirkjubour old farm house

The plan for the next day was to do the boat trip to Mykines, which had been cancelled on our first day. However, we got an email the night before saying it had been cancelled, because of the weather again. So we explored the northern part of Streymoy instead. We drove straight up to the top Streymoy to begin with then worked our way back.
The tiny fishing village of Tjornuvik sits at the northern tip of the island. Famed for its surfing in the enclosed bay, the waves were too gentle for any activity today. We took a short walk through the village and round the harbour to take in the magnificent scenery. We watched male Eider Ducks fight over their females, observed locals going about their daily lives and visited an old viking grave, before heading back south.

Tjornuvik village

Fish drying

Eider ducks courting

Tjornuvik,Risin (The Giant) and Kellingin (The Witch) were sent by an Icelandic chief to steal the Faroe Islands and drag them back to Iceland but as sun rise were petrified

Tjornuvik village view

Access to Tjornuvik is via an narrow cliff road, only wide enough for one vehicle. This meant we had about five minutes to wait at the village traffic light before we could leave.
Our route south took us back along the only road, sometimes only single lane, which hugged the coastline and provided great views of Eysturoy the neighbouring island. We then turned inland and followed a single lane road through a sheep filled glacial valley. Eventually emerging at Saksun on the west coast. Again, more dramatic scenery and a bay almost cut off from the ocean. Here the sea squeezes through a narrow gap between two cliffs to fill the bay with water. As everywhere, numerous waterfalls tumble down the cliffs before forming streams that end up in the bay.

The road in/out of Tjornuvik, single lane

Waterfall by the road

Saksun bay

We grabbed a Faroe lunch, then looked around the farm museum. Our Faroe lunch consisted of three different local meats laid out in open sandwiches on local baked bread, very tasty if a bit salty.
The farm museum consisted of a farm house and outbuildings restored to how they would have functioned in the 19th century. We were the only visitors so the custodian , a young Italian girl, acted as guide for us. It was fascinating, informative and not a way of life we would have fancied.

Farm museum at Saksun

Back along the road same road, then down the main road heading south. Our next stop was Vid Air and the old Whaling Station. This is an open air museum and free to enter. Information boards explain the buildings and machinery you are looking at. Our self guided tour was short but very interesting and gave us a better understanding of whaling in the late 19th and early 20th century. There was also a jaw bone from a Sperm Whale to gave a bit of prospective.

Old whaling station now an open museum

Finally we got our boat trip to see Puffins. Not the ferry to Mykines but something better as it turned out. Having the ferry cancelled for the second time we booked a Puffin Safari instead.
We therefore left Torshavn in good time the following morning to travel to Sorvagur to meet up with the eight other guests on the trip. Once into our survival suits we boarded the Zodiac and cruised out of the harbour. For the next hour we toured along the western coast of Vagar admiring the rock formations, waterfalls, caves and most importantly the Puffins.
The puffins were on rock outcrop nests and fishing on the water and view was pretty good considering it was from the Zodiac. What made it even better was that the wind was light, there was no rain and we even got a bit of sunshine.

Survival suit needed to go on boat trip

Rock formation

Mulafossur fall, the only waterfall that drops directly in the ocean

Arch with a view

Tall cliff (rock gulley)

Sea stacks

Atlantic Puffin on cliff

Happy with our boat trip we continued the activities for the day with a short drive to Gasadalur.
Gasadalur is home to one of the most famous waterfalls on the Faroe Islands, Mulafossur. We had seen it from the water earlier now we could also see it from the top. Mulafossur is famous because it is the only waterfall on the islands that drops directly into the ocean. Its waters are also said to be used in the beer with the same name.

Mulafossur and surrounding scenery

Impressive as the waterfall was, the highlight of Gasadalur, and one we hadn’t expected, was the Puffin nest on the top edge of the opposite cliff. We had been lead to believe that a trip to Mykines Island would be our best (only) chance to see Puffins close up from the land, but here they were.
We approached the edge of the cliff quietly, slowly and respectfully, joining a fellow wildlife photographer. The birds were on a lower ledge about 2 to 3 meters away. They didn’t appear concerned by our presence and continued to go about their daily business, a bit of nest maintenance and fishing reconnaissance. We remained watching them for almost a hour, waiting for the perfect photograph and observing these beautiful little birds. Spending almost 10 months of the year out at sea and only coming ashore to breed, viewing them like this is a rare and magical privilege.

Atlantic Puffin

Puffin

Puffin taking off

Fulmar nesting

All this excitement had made us hungry so we stopped in Sorvagur for lunch. When we emerged from the cafe the weather was on the change, the sun and blue sky had disappeared, dark clouds were forming and light rain was in the air. This change is very common in the Faroe Isles, but it could be better on another island. So for the moment we stuck with the plan and continued back towards Torshavn on Streymoy and hoped for the best.
By the time we emerged from the sea tunnel onto Streymoy the weather had got worse and we had to negotiate very low cloud and rain all the way back. Needless to say the late afternoon activities had been cancelled.

Foggy mountain pass

mountain pass, no fog, on the other side of the Tunnerl

It was now time to change locations and venture onto a new island and a new place to stay, but that is for Part 2.