Oh I love Faroe Islands! Untouched nature, hiking trails, amazing scenery and you almost have the place exclusively to yourself! With a population of only 55,000 on 1,400 square km of land, it feels as though everyone knows each other. If being close to nature and taking stunning photographs is what you enjoy, Faroe Islands is just the place for you.
Nature & Hiking
Urban & History
Scenery & Viewpoints
About Me
Faroe Islands
Overview of Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but is a self-governing territory. They comprise of 18 volcanic islands interconnected by bridges, sub-sea tunnels as well as ferry services, and are located between the United Kingdom and Iceland.
Key facts
- Language: Faroese, English
- Currency: Danish Krone (DKK) – 100 DKK approx. £11 / US$16 / €13
- Timezone: GMT (Winter), GMT+1 (Summer)
- Capital: Torshavn
- National carrier: Atlantic Airways
- Driving: Right side of road
- Power outlet: Type C/E, 230V, 50Hz
Costs and budget
- Can be very costly, due to high import costs
- Accommodation, food, car rental and hiking fees are expensive
- Plan your activities carefully if you have a tight budget.
- Get better insurance coverage if you are not a confident driver – many people have been hit by the high prices that car rentals are charging for damages.
Top 10 highlights
1
Hike to Klakkur (Bordoy)
2
Kallur Lighthouse hike (Kalsoy)
3
Vestmanna Sea Cliffs (Streymoy)
4
Trælanípa hike (Vagar)
5
Múlafossur waterfall (Vagar)
6
Mykines hike and puffins (Apr-Aug)
7
Oyggjarvegur scenic road (Streymoy)
8
Saksun - Út á Lónna trail (Streymoy)
9
Village of Gjógv (Eysturoy)
10
Torshavn old town (Streymoy)
You can refer to my 7-Day Essential Faroe Islands Itinerary post for a suggested plan and ideas on what you can include (or exclude) if you have more (or less) time in your hands.
The main islands
Vagar, Streymoy, Eysturoy, Bordoy, Kunoy as well as Vidoy are all well linked up by roads. Sandoy has also joined the list following the opening of a new sub-sea tunnel in December 2023. Therefore, travelling between these islands are relatively easy by car or public transport.
Other offshore islands
The other islands are connected mainly by ferries, with some of them taking vehicles on board. For example, ferries to Kalsoy and Suðuroy do allow vehicles, although limited in capacity. Both these islands are the perfect islands to go to for some hiking and visiting quaint villages. If you love the rural and less explored, Svinoy or Fugloy in the northeast may appeal to you.
Probably the most visited offshore island is Mykines, especially during the spring and summer months (between April and August). This is because of the puffins season, when the island tends to get the most visitors. There are no cars on Mykines though, and it is mandatory to have a guide with you when exploring.
Whether you are on a main or offshore island, there is always a good hike suitable for your fitness level, and a lovely town for you to relax in.
Getting to Faroe Islands
Atlantic Airways is the national airline of the Faroe Islands and offers all-year flights from Copenhagen, Billund, Oslo and Reykjavik. A few more options are available in the summer months (usually Edinburgh, London, Paris and Barcelona). Refer to the Atlantic Airways website for their most updated routes.
You may need a bit of planning to reach the Faroe Islands as the frequencies of flights are generally low. If you are travelling from a city other than those listed above, timing your flight transits perfectly can be a challenge. For instance, I had to stay a night at Billund in order to catch my flight to the Faroe Islands.
Getting around
I strongly recommend getting around with a car. This will allow you the flexibility of making impromptu photo stops and reaching the most obscure places for your perfect Instagram photos. And, without having to wait for public transport.
However, all is not lost even if driving is not for you. There are many public buses that can take you to numerous locations around the Faroe Islands. You can refer to the timetable and bus routes and plan your activities around them.
Another option is to take packaged or day tours. You can find a wide variety of packaged tours – both guided and self-drive – as well as day tours offered by ‘Guide to Faroe Islands’.
Driving in the Faroe Islands
Like the rest of Europe, cars drive on the right side of the road. The main roads are wide. However, they can get quite narrow on smaller roads and encounter single lane roads for dual-traffic usage. The good thing is, they are never busy so you should be able to manage if you keep to a safe speed. Some key points to note:
- Keep your headlights on at all times
- Speed limit is 80km/h on main roads and 50km/h in villages.
- There are no speed cameras but keep to a safe speed as there can be sharp turns at short notice
- Car parking is free except for at the airport
- Drive into the nearest lay-by (a widened section of the road) when encountering oncoming traffic on a single lane road
- Road tunnels through mountains can be very dark. Be prepared to remove your sunglasses before entering tunnels
- In older, single-lane tunnels, signs will inform you of the right of way. If your direction of travel is not the right of way, you have to move into a lay-by when facing oncoming traffic
- Capacity on car ferries are often limited
- Usage of sub-sea tunnels comes with high toll amounts. Car rental companies may charge a higher toll amount from publicised ones meant for residents. Confirm these amounts with your car rental company
- Beware of sheep or other wildlife on roads
Sub-sea tunnels
There are four under-the-sea tunnels. The most famous one is Eysturoyartunnilin which connects Streymoy to Eysturoy. It features the world’s first and only under-sea roundabout.
It significantly reduces driving time between Torshavn and the northeastern islands but comes at a high cost (at 175 DKK for a 11km journey each way). You can maybe think of it as a ticket to see the world’s only under-sea roundabout.
Take note that car rental companies may charge you for the tolls at a higher rate than the official fee. For example, my car rental company charged me 250 DKK for driving through the Eysturoyartunnilin even though the published fee is officially 175 DKK.
The other three sub-sea tunnels are:
1
Vágatunnilin
Connects Vagar to Streymoy (at least 100 DKK round trip). This is the first under-sea tunnel completed in 2002. You have to use this tunnel if you are travelling from the airport to the capital Torshavn.
2
Norðoyatunnilin
Connects Eysturoy and Bordoy (at least 100 DKK round trip). This tunnel is required to get to Klaksvik and the northeastern islands of Bordoy, Kunoy and Vinoy.
3
Sandoyartunnilin
Connects Streymoy and Sandoy. This tunnel opened recently in December 2023. A quick search online suggests that this costs at least a whopping 350 DKK for a round trip.
Ferries
To get to the offshore islands such as Mykines, Kalsoy or Suðuroy, you need to hop onto the ferries that serve them. Check the ferry timetables.
How many days do I need?
If you have taken all the effort to get to Faroe Islands, why not stay a bit longer?
One week is the ideal duration. It allows you time to do a few scenic hikes comfortably and enjoy a couple of excursions to the offshore islands.
If you have more time, you can add on the less visited islands of Sandoy or Suðuroy amongst others.
I don’t recommend this, but even if time is not on your side, you should aim at the minimum to have three days excluding travelling days. But this means having to be very selective in what you do, and it doesn’t allow you time to do the longer hikes.
I was there for seven days and I still feel there is more I can do. You can refer to my post on 7-Day Essential Faroe Islands Itinerary.
Where to stay?
Faroe islands is small enough to present you with two options:
Using Torshavn as your base – If you dislike being constantly on the move and you find packing and unpacking a hassle, you can stay in Torshavn as your base. However, you will have more driving to do each day (about an hour each way on some days). On the other hand, Torshavn, being the capital city, gives you the better range of restaurants and shops and has a good range of accommodations from budget to luxury.
On the move – If you don’t like driving and don’t mind being on the move, Vagar Island, Torshavn, and Klaksvik are the best places to stay in. Refer to my post 7-Day Essential Faroe Islands Itinerary for suggested number of nights at each place. It is arguably cheaper with this option as you reduce the number of times you use the expensive sub-sea tunnels and you save on time and petrol by driving less. However, you won’t get much choices of shops and restaurants outside of Torshavn and Klaksvik.
Vestmanna sea cliffs boat tour
What’s the weather like?
Surrounded by the ocean, the islands get quite mild summers and winters. It hovers around 10°C (50°F) in the day of the summer months and goes down to around 5°C (41°F) in the day in winter.
You may read about comments of Faroe Islands having 300 cloudy, rainy or foggy days a year. However, I was there for seven days and I had six days of absolutely glorious sunny days! I was really lucky, or maybe my trip being in June did help.
The weather there is as volatile as the stock market though. On a couple of occasions, I entered a tunnel in full Faroese fog but exited the tunnel greeted by bright blue skies and sun. On the day of my Mykines trip, I was having breakfast at the hotel in full fog and clouds but it all turned bright and sunny by the time I was done. So, don’t judge the day by what you see out of your windows that morning.
Is Faroe Islands safe?
Crime rates are extremely low. I cannot think of anywhere else that feels safer than in Faroe Islands. And I travelled Faroe Islands on a solo trip!
The main safety considerations are those relating to driving and hiking. The good thing is, these are things well within your control. When hiking, you should take care not to get too close to cliff edges especially during strong winds, and make sure you stay on designated pathways. Just make sure you exercise basic caution and common sense.
What should I eat?
Faroe Islands is surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the sheep population outnumbers the human population. So it is not surprising that the main food on the islands are made up of seafood and lamb. Specifically, air-dried fermented (ræst) fish and lamb (skerpikjøt) are considered Faroese delicacies.
Ræst is the process of fermentation by hanging to dry, particularly, by the salty winds of Faroe Islands. You are likely to see this drying of meat or fish at least once in some of the villages you visit.
If fermented lamb or seafood is not your thing, there are also options to have them fresh. Unfortunately, I am not able to provide any opinion on what these ræst dishes taste like as for some reason, the good restaurants serving them were all closed during my visit. However, I read online that it has a strong taste that not everyone can readily accept. One for you to judge and let me know in the comments!
I list some of my recommended restaurants or cafes below.
-
Breyðvirkið (44, 100 Jónas Broncksgøta, Tórshavn)
Great bakery for a quick breakfast and the cinnamon buns were particularly good. I didn’t have any problems with long queues, but some blogs did mention about it. Good for takeaways as there aren’t many seating areas.
-
Húsagarður (Oknarvegur, 2 100, Tórshavn)
This is arguably where I had my favourite meal in Faroe Islands although it comes with a price as well. Very fine dining style with hospitable staff who patiently explained the dishes in the menu. Even the bread and butter were one of the best I’ve ever had. I believe the menu changes time to time, but I had the Langoustine bisque (which I really love) and the lamb culotte.
-
Aarstova (1 Gongin, Tórshavn 100)
Another pricey place but with great reviews. Here you have to choose between a 3-course or a 5-course meal. Whatever you get in the selection, don’t miss the lamb as that is what they are well-known for!
-
The Tarv Grillhouse (undir Bryggjubakka 3-5 Tóshavn, 100)
Another place that can set you back considerably in price. As the name suggests, they are known for their grills – lamb, steak, fish, etc.
-
Fríða Kaffihús (Klaksvík 700)
This is a casual café good for buns and pastries for breakfast, and soup or burgers for lunch and dinner. Conveniently located in the small town, this was where I picked up pastries for breakfast before setting off for Kalsoy, and I was back here again another day for lunch before I hiked to Klakkur.
-
Fish and Chips (13a Nólsoyar Pálsgøta, Klaksvík 700)
This ordinarily-looking fish and chips shack house surprised me and turned out to be pretty good. While waiting for my order, there were so many locals who dropped by to order a takeaway. That goes to show the popularity among the locals. If you prefer to dine in, there is a heated wooden hut nearby where you can enjoy your meal at your own time. It is conveniently located right next to the port to Kalsoy so that was where I had my dinner after returning from the day excursion.
I didn’t manage to try these as they were sadly closed during my stay but were highly recommended based on my research prior to my trip:
- Babara Fish House (Tórshavn 100)
- Ræst (Tórshavn 100)
- Fiskastykkið (12 360 Úti á Bakka Sandavágur, 360)
Closing note
Faroe Islands is one of the most charming places I have visited. If you enjoy scenery, nature and hiking, this is one place you cannot miss. And if you love photography as well, you are sure to get lots of amazing pictures of the landscapes and wildlife. All without too much disturbances from other fellow travellers. Unfortunately though, it does get quite expensive.
Hop on to my suggested itinerary in my post – 7-Day Essential Faroe Islands Itinerary – for more details on the hikes, sights and of course, more pictures!
Related posts
0
April 26, 2024
