The Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are an archipelago peppered across the North Atlantic, roughly equidistant from Iceland, Norway, and Scotland. The tiny nation’s dramatic and moody landscape, reminiscent of the much more popular Iceland, draws in a disproportionately high number of visitors each year. (We visited the Faroe Islands as part of a broader trip. You can read about our preceding trip to Bornholm, Denmark here.)

Ensuring a successful visit to the Faroe Islands is all about logistics. If you don’t plan (and book) far ahead, you may find yourself relying on sparse public transit, missing ferries, or wasting time doubling back on roads.
As you could probably guess from the Faroe Islands’ geographic location, the climate will dictate how and when you visit. Winters are relatively mild thanks to the moderating effects of the ocean, but the weather is unpredictable year-round. Even in the middle of summer, you can expect chilly, cloudy, foggy, rainy weather. But that’s part of the landscape’s moody atmosphere, so embrace it!

Flew from Copenhagen to the Faroe Islands.
Rented car from Avis for the whole trip.
Checked into our Airbnb and settled into Tórshavn.
Walked around Tórshavn’s city center. We especially enjoyed the area around Tinganes.
Drinks and snacks from Mikkeller in Tórshavn.

Hiked at Trælanípan, from Miðvágurt to Bøsdalafossur and the view above Sørvágsvatn. The land is privately owned, and they charge a large fee for entry, which is the source of a lot of visitors’ frustrations (and many negative reviews), but we thought it was worth it.
Lunch at Cafe Fjorooy in Gasadalur.
Walked to the famous view of Múlafossur in Gasadalur. We parked at 62.108365, -7.432215.
Visited Bøur. We had intended to park and walk around, but the rain was so heavy at this point that we enjoyed the views from the car.
Dinner at Koks. This was a whole event in and of itself and was one of the most memorable meals of our lives. Koks has two Michelin stars, and for good reason. They started us with drinks and snacks at their lakeside fermenting house. Then a Landrover picked us up and drove through Leynavatn to the main restaurant, divinely remote and cozy, where we holed up for 4 hours and enjoyed an incredible 18-course meal. Best yet, though their typical menu is very meat and seafood-heavy, they prepared a fully vegetarian version for us, and they also offered a full juice pairing in addition to their wine pairing. (Note that we booked dinner at Koks 7 months in advance.)

Took the car ferry from Port Sørvágur to the island of Mykines.
Group walking tour with Heini from Visit Mykines. Highly recommended. We went to every worthwhile spot on the island and learned a lot about its history, geography, and culture.
A highlight was seeing hundreds of puffins on the western end of the island.
Took the ferry back to Port Sørvágur.

Visited Saksun. Hiked up to the waterfall.
Visited Gjogv. Walked around the gorge. Walked up the wooden stairs to the north of the town.
Dinner at Sirkus Bar in Tórshavn.