What To See in Faroe Islands
EM has checked into … Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands is one of the hidden destinations that you HAVE to visit and explore once in your lifetime. Situated between Iceland and UK but relative to Denmark, the country is super tiny yet filled with so much treasure waiting for YOU to enjoy.
It is truly an enchanting and magical place.
Even the locals are called ‘Faroese’, sound like fairies?
And there is another larger population than human residing in the country - SHEEP, and hear me when I say that they are EVERYWHERE! Some say that fairies are using sheep as a mode. of transportation…
So if you tell me that fairies exist only in Faroe Islands, I will now truly believe it.
The iconic Mulafossur Waterfall
The 2-hr hike for Lake Sorvoysvatn
Mulafossur Waterfall & Lake Sorvoysvatn
The reason why I combined these two attractions into one as they are situated close to each other PLUS they are close to the airport. So you can either choose to visit these two places before or after your flight.
The Mulafossur Waterfall is the iconic representation of Faroe Islands. Maybe because of the fact that there is a small town at the edge of the cliff with a waterfall streaming from the nearby mountains. Imagine walking up and sleeping with the surrounding sounds of the ocean and waterfall.
Lake Sorvoysvatn is also another famous attraction for people to go when exploring Faroe Islands. HOWEVER be warned that it does take quite some time to hike to the end of the cliff, which is approximately 2 hours! Including the fact that weather might not be your friend during the hike.
Weather in Faroe Islands is unpredictable - similar to Iceland - rain, hail, wind and sun within 30 mins. So make sure to be equipped with waterproof gear and stop if the hail or wind is getting too much for you to handle. Just need to sit for 15 mins and the weather will pass, trust me!
Snow-capped Slættaratindur
Arriving at the cutest village - Gjógv
Slættaratindur & Gjógv
These two attractions are located next to each other so it was definitely convenient to visit both at one time.
To get to Gjógv, you will have to bypass the Slættaratindur mountain ranges and be in awe of the mountain/valley views.
I would think that Gjógv is the cutest little village of Faroe Islands, maybe because of the different variety of houses (some in black, some in red, some in yellow and some in blue etc). I wish that we can paint our houses like that to brighten up anyone’s day.
While you explore this tiny village, you will spot a few interesting playground or playhouses that articulate a kid’s imagination into real life.
The village bears its name from the beautiful 200 metre long gorge that the villagers have used as a natural harbour and landing ground for their boats for centuries.
The northernmost village in Faroe Islands - Viðareiði
The abandoned village of Múli
The guard of the abandoned Múli???
Viðareiði & Múli
Both of these villages aren’t exactly next to each other but since the country is so tiny, it is pretty quick to get to both villages in the same area within half a day.
Viðareiði is the northernmost village in the Faroe Islands hence visiting this village is always rewarding in a sense. There is a beautiful church overlooking the sea and cliffs with some interesting fishing boat. If you are feeling adventurous and want a new challenge, you can try hiking Cape Enniberg, the tallest vertical sea cliff in the world! *If you do want to hike, give yourself extra 2 hours as it is not an easy path.
Want to visit an eerie place? Múli is the right place to go! It is known to be abandoned since 1992 with only sheep as the residents.
So say hi to them! They do welcome friendly humans once awhile for a change, you might be able to spot the ‘guard’ of the isolated village watching you.
Heading to Kalsoy
The lighthouse in the distance
Kalsoy Island - Kallur Lighthouse & Mikladalur
Set aside one full day to explore the tiny island of Kalsoy. To get to Kalsoy, you can just hop onto the ferry and pay on the spot from Klaskvik. Since I travelled during the non peak season, I could just get to the ferry terminal 15 mins earlier than departure time in the morning. But if it is during the peak season, you probably should get there at least 30mins ahead and wait in line.
Now the reason I strongly recommend to get to Kalsoy first thing in the morning is so that you can hike the Kallur Lighthouse. It does take at least 2 hours of non stop hike and it was the most challenging hike I’ve experienced in Faroe Islands. There is no footpath, you gotta rely on your instinct and perhaps rely on sheep’s path to get to the lighthouse. Along the way, there will be hail, snow, wind and rain every 20mins or so. AND GOSH, I had no idea it would be muddy and most likely stepped into sheep’s poop along the way.
Since there is no footpath to Kallur Lighthouse, you just need to park your car at Trøllanes, you will see a red gate and start your hike by turning right after the red gate and just keep on going. It was scary for me as I was the only one, but trust me, just keep on going. DO NOT TURN LEFT AT THE RED GATE (EVEN IF IT LOOKS LIKE YOU SHOULD TURN LEFT ON GOOGLE MAPS)!!!
But believe me, it was worth the daunting hike, the sight was breathtaking and especially during winter, the atmosphere was more magical with hanging clouds compared to what you see in summer time.
After Kallur lighthouse, I made my way down and stopped Mikladalur, which is a small town with plenty of cute houses with the infamous roof-grass that Faroe Islands is also well known for.
I also noticed that there are a lot more sheep here in Kalsoy Island, so most likely you will be chased by sheep either during your hike or when you are driving. But don’t worry, they will stopped after awhile, so just be careful for your own safety and not to panic. On the flip side, you can take this opportunity to take some interesting photos. I can assure you that the sheep won’t attack you, they just think that you have food for them and want to follow you.
BUT please please please DO NOT feed any sheep! They already have abundance of grass on the island and you might end up making the sheep sick.
Saksun Church
Tjørnuvík
Saksun Church & Tjørnuvík
Saksun Church is also another one major icon of Faroe Islands. Not sure why it has gained so much popularity as I thought there are many other places in Faroe Islands that are much more scenic.
But anyway if you want to go there for the sake of ‘tagging yourself’ on socials, just a quick visit will do as there is pretty much nothing else there. There is an easy hike nearby which I did not mind to explore as it was not too far and pretty scenic - better than Saksun Church (I think I was just so underwhelmed by Saksun Church, hence might be bias).
Over to the opposite side of the tip, Tjørnuvík is a spot that deserves to visit. There’s a pretty cool black sand beach and the drive heading to Tjørnuvík was absolutely spectacular. Pretty much every corner was insta-worthy!
Walking around Tinganes and a great place to play hide and seek!
Tinganes
Tinganes is the oldest part of Torshavn. Once you are there, you will realise it’s a great place to just walk around or even play hide and seek. It’s extremely peaceful and refreshing with some of the iconic black houses yet complimented with some hint of colourful houses.
2 hours will be more than enough to explore this area as well as taking lots of photos!
Make sure to take the free city bus into the capital city of Torshavn as parking is extremely limited in this town. Once you are in the town, it doesn’t take long for you to walk around since it is a fairly small area.
The view from the helicopter ride
Helicopter ride in Faroe Islands
As mentioned in my Instagram post, a helicopter ride is a MUST to do when in Faroe Islands. Why? Because it’s SO CHEAP (It was around EUR 20)! Helicopter rides are a form of public transport and it is subsidised by the government here.
However, for us tourists, we are only allowed to have the subsidised ride ONE WAY only. So you will have to organise your way back either through bus or ferry depending where you choose to fly to.
And wow it was a spectacular ride with breathtaking views.
Make sure to pre-purchase your ticket via Atlantic Airways 1 week before your chosen date to go for the helicopter ride. Also it gives you a better idea on weather forecast so that you can pick the best weather for the ride to avoid cancellations!
A week in Faroe Islands
If you want to go somewhere different for a week, especially if you are looking for that ‘OFF THE BEATEN’ destination, Faroe Islands is the ONE for you!
I went to Faroe Islands in late March which I think it was the perfect time to visit. No crowds and cheaper rates! Summer is their peak season and winter is just too depressing, so shoulder seasons are the best of both worlds.
TAKE NOTE:
Remember that Faroe Islands is a cashless society so don’t bother exchanging currencies, but just make sure to have a credit card with excellent international conversion rates and no charges
Make sure to read up or watch some videos about driving through the tunnels - some of them are pretty tricky and scary so you need to know what are the correct rules!
You will need to rent a car here BUT make sure to have enough credit limit on your credit card as the car rental companies do take quite a high level of amount as deposit compared to any other countries that I’ve been to
Bring along lots of wet wipes - there are ALOT of sheep poo on the road and footpath so it will be handy to tidy up before getting into your rental car
Sheep are EVERYWHERE so please have the patience to wait for them to get off the road
Weather here is very SIMILAR to Iceland so be prepared!
There are 2 toll tunnels in this country so organise your route accordingly to avoid double charges and save $$$. Your car rental company will inform you on how to settle the toll charges (either they will take it from the deposit or you pay at the designated petrol station)
WHAT TO WEAR:
Waterproof jacket and pants (SUPER CRITICAL!!!)
Beanie
Gloves
A GOOD pair of hiking shoes (CRITICAL!!!)
Hiking poles (if you have weak knees or legs or just can’t hike at all cause you are unfit AF)
Don’t bother about umbrellas…..they will break in 1 second
Faroe Islands is truly a magical place hidden away from the world, not many people know about this place unless if you really did your research or if you are a photographer. And again, I don’t think you should come here during the summer season, shoulder season is the best with cheapest rates and manageable weather PLUS the photos that you take will be spectacular with that ominous feel to them.
If you want a cheaper, less crowded and smaller version of Iceland, Faroe Islands is the alternative. In fact, I think Faroe Islands is wayyyyyy BEETTTTEERRRR than Iceland!
Till next time, take care and stay inspired.
xoxo EM
Just a normal commoner found in the drain???
