Let's go for a destination like no other... 9 years after Iceland, we wanted to find the nature of the great north, the green spaces as far as the eye can see, because indeed here the legend says that there are more sheep than inhabitants... The Faroe Islands are 18 steep islands, like big rocks in the North Atlantic, somewhere between the Shetland Islands and Iceland. It's a wild, stormy land with half the sunshine of home. So here we are, on a 10-day roadtrip through the Faroe Islands in our hybrid RAV4, nicknamed Bou-bou (because it's muddy). It's a real treat for lovers of wide open spaces and wind!

-> SørVágur, vágar Island [ 3 Nights ]

Let's go for our 2 days on Vágar Island... this island may not be the most spectacular from a cliffs point of view but it is full of beautiful sights.

Bøur

Bøur, a tiny village a few kilometres from Sørvágur, is our first glimpse of the turf roofs that are characteristic of these islands. A sod roof, sometimes called a peat roof, is a traditional Scandinavian type of green roof, consisting of sods laid on layers of birch bark. The turf is used as a reasonably effective insulator in a cold climate and the birch bark underneath ensures that the roof is waterproof.

All that's left is for us to wander around the village, respecting the privacy of the inhabitants and enjoying the best view, a little far away, of Drangarnir, the famous rock-arch off Vágar Island.

Drangarnir

The famous rock... it is visible from the road at the village of Bøur, but 2 other options are possible. You can either pass by it on your way back from Mykines island by boat or you can book a guide to do the walk from Sørvágur to the tip of Vágar... you will be face to face with this magnificent natural curioté. Unfortunately the weather on our 2nd day in the Faroes made us give up the visit of Mykines and the walk to Drangarnir... Next time maybe?

Gásadalsgardur | Múlafossur

Just north of Vágar, the road dead-ends at the village of Gásadalsgardur after passing through our first one-lane tunnel of our Faroese journey with Bou-bou (pictured above). The village is not particularly interesting except for a quick coffee and a slice of carrot cake at Café Fjorooy. What is worth the diversions is to walk along the cliff, to take a deep breath of air and to finish the mini hike by the Múlafossur waterfall.

LeItisvatn | lac suspendu

Another highlight of the Faroes is to see the hanging lake. Lake Leitisvatn is the largest lake in the Faroes, a lake perched on a cliff 30 metres above sea level. The view of the sea and the lake is accessible from a small car park above Miðvágur. The path is very well maintained but there is a fee for the right of way (25CHF per person). A short hour's walk will take you to a breathtaking view...

Beware that even if the walk is easy and not particularly difficult, the weather conditions are so variable that we left with a beautiful sunny jumper and returned with overcast weather, an almost unbearable wind and with all our layers on. So never forget that here you can experience all 3 seasons in just a few hours.

SandavÁgur

A nice village with a huge church and a good restaurant, the Fiskastykkið... A stop which allows us to observe the houses, the grass roofs and to slow down the rhythm... It is rare to meet Faroese walking around... everything seems to be suspended, stopped, in pause...

Trøllkonufinfur

South of Sandavàgur, a road and then a track brings us to the viewpoint. Trøllkonufingur, which means the finger of the troll woman, is a 313 m high monolith. Legend has it that Trøllkonufingur is the finger of a witch who came to Iceland from the Faroe Islands. When she reached the sea south of Vágar, the sun rose and she was turned into stone and fell into the ocean. She was so big that when she reached the bottom of the sea, the back of her head and her finger were above the surface. The back of her head is the island of Koltur, and her finger is Trøllkonufingur.

Where to stay | here to eat

In order to land smoothly and have a cocoon in case of bad weather (which was the case on our 2nd day... super storm with rain at the horzontal and unbearable wind) we decided to stay at Cottage By The Sea. Five cottages on the water's edge, fully equipped and cosy... nothing better to take refuge and feel at home.

There are not many places to eat on the island of Vágar (as on all the islands except the capital Torshavn). One address not to be missed but open only during the day is the Fiskastykkið, A good fish soup, nice desserts and a delicious coffee... all in a friendly atmosphere, with an authentic and neat decoration. Otherwise, in Sørvágur, you can go to Café Pollastova where the welcome is very friendly but the menu is rather limited or you can just cook yourself a small dish after having gone to PE Sørvágur or Bònus in Miðvágur.

-> GjÒgv, eysturoy island [ 2 Nights ]

We leave Vágar Island in the direction of Gjògv on the island of Eysturoy, but on the way we make a short diversions to the north of the island of Streymoy to discover some typical localities.

Saksun, streymoy island

Another highlight of the Faroe Islands is the remote village-museum of Saksun. Its grass-roofed houses set in a natural circular amphitheatre overlooking a tidal lagoon is a lovely half-day destination. In the fjord at the foot of the village is a lagoon where, at low tide, it is possible to walk along the sandy shore. The village has a church, built in 1858, and Dúvugarðar, a working farm which also serves as a museum. However, beware of the many restrictions: no droning in the village, no walking on the lawn... it feels like the few tourists here are already too many for the 14 inhabitants of the village... Too bad!

Fossá, streymoy island

On the way to Tjørnuvik, you will pass by this beautiful double waterfall. The view on the other side of the island of Esturoy is even better.

tjørnuvik, streymoy island

Finally arrived at Tjørnuvik... we are at the northernmost point of the main island of Streymoy. The village is located at the bottom of a deep talweg, mostly in the shade, but has a sandy beach (quite rare in the Faroes) with a nice view on the two stacks named Risin and Kellingin.

A little surprise, a gentleman with his children offers us a good coffee and a waffle with rhubarb jam and whipped cream on tables outside... an unexpected delight.

eidI, EYsTuroy Island

We turn back for a few kilometres to Eysturoy Island and take the opposite road from the fjord to reach the village of Eidi. Here, the sight to see is the football field transformed into a camping area by the ocean.

We continue our way to Gjògv, through the pass at the foot of Slættaratindur, the highest mountain in the Faroes. Unfortunately because of the weather... damn fog... we decide not to climb it... At this point, we say to ourselves that we will try again the next day...

gjògv, EYsTuroy Island

The charming village of Gjògv is located on the northernmost part of the island of Esturoy. The village has a guesthouse and a café right next to the natural harbour. To enjoy the view and to see shearwaters, you have to climb the cliff from the café... you'll have to warm up your calves!

By staying 2 nights in Gjògv, we thought we would have a weather window to climb Slættaratindur, but it's only a postponement... we take advantage of this mystical weather to walk in the surrounding villages... don't miss the charming little village of Elduvik and the church in Funningur

Elduvik, EYsTuroy Island

funningur, EYsTuroy Island

Not far from Gjògv, on the other side of the pass, in the small village of Funningur, there is a pretty black church covered with grass and with a natural wooden interior.

where to stay | where to eat

Here too the possibilities are limited in terms of accommodation and restaurants. But there is the inevitable Gjògv Guesthouse whose restaurant is worth a visit... well, we eat seafood! But I advise you even if you are staying there to book your table, as people come from all over to try their delicious food.

Another nice address on the way to EidI, Rose's restaurant, Rose’s Café, where we had a delicious fish of the day and a very good carrot cake.

-> klaksvik, bordoy island [ 2 Nights ]

Change of island, we leave Eysturoy, to join the northern ones. We take our second tunnel under the Atlantic... these constructions are just impressive and slightly frightening.

Viðareiði, Viðoy Island

We continue to the far north of the country to Viðareiði, the northernmost village at the foot of Villingdalsfjall. We decide to climb it, but we know that if the clouds at the top don't disappear by magic, the summit will be inaccessible. However, there are markers indicating the way (this is not always the case on hikes in the Faroes, which sometimes makes it difficult to undertake a hike in bad weather, as it is extremely easy to get lost). The view of the islands is magnificent, one can only imagine the view from the fog-free summit and the Enniberg cliff, the 2nd highest in Europe.

kunoy, kunoy island

After our day on the island of Viðoy, we go back to the village of Kunoy on the island of the same name. It is Sunday... We discover families having a good time bathing in the river.

klaksvik, bordoy island

Back to Klalsvik where we will spend the 2 nights. But we are a bit disappointed by this town. It is surrounded by beautiful hills and to appreciate it you have to climb a bit. However the city as such, offers little animation: restaurant, café, bar... everything seems closed whereas we are in full month of June in 2nd city of the country.

Phare de kallur, kalsoy island

It was with excitement that we waited for the right weather day to go on an excursion to Kalsoy Island. Accessible by ferry in 20 minutes from Klaksvik, one must however be prepared to... either get up very early to park one's car in pole position on the ferry loading lines, as only 12 cars can undertake the trip. No reservation is possible and knowing that locals have priority until 15 minutes before departure (we arrived 2 hours before... because from our room we could see the number of cars already waiting... and Bou-bou was the 11th car to board... phew the passengers of the 20 following cars were quite disappointed). Another option in case of overcrowding, you can always walk up to the ferry and then take the shuttle that crosses the island of Kalsoy to the village of Trøllanes. Starting point for the unmarked walk from Kallur lighthouse.

The walk to the Kallur lighthouse is not long, about 40 minutes, but there is no real path, the way can be very muddy and slippery. But this little walk is really worth it... we are lucky with the weather this time and can see the village of Gjògv, the two stacks called Risin and Kellingin in the distance and on the other side the cliffs of Enniberg and Villingdalsfjall.

We stayed almost the whole day, letting the tourists who were with us on the first ferry go and finding ourselves almost alone to enjoy this incredible nature... and also, spoiler alert, James Bond's grave. Yes, Kalsoy island was one of the shooting locations of the last James Bond movie "No Time to Die".

Another curiosity of the island, before going back to the ferry, we stop to see Kópakonan, the seal-woman. Too bad the little café next door, Café Eðge, was closed... we would have liked to extend our day here until the last ferry of the day.

where to stay | where to eat

We stayed at Hotel Klaksvik… except that we had the huge 70's style bridal room with a headboard with a built-in radio-cassette and the view on the fjord and the ferry departure... We did not fall under the charm of this hotel. I would advise to find an AirBnB or a room at the inhabitant's. It must be said that here also, the offer of accommodation is not huge as far as restaurants are concerned. We were also disappointed, except at the Café Fríða and their delicious pies.

-> suduroy island [ 2 Nights ]

Today is the longest leg of our journey to the southernmost island of the archipelago, Suduroy. The ferry from the capital Torshavn takes us there with the car in 2 hours. Before taking the ferry at the end of the afternoon, we will take the opportunity to make some stops, small lighthouse of Leirvik, tunnel of Eysturoy and a nice afternoon in the capital of Torshavn.

EYSTUROY TUNNEL

On the way to Torshavn, from the northern islands, don't miss the tunnel under the Athlantic with a roundabout... yes yes it's not a typo... unfortunately impossible to take a nice picture, so to discover it there is only one way to go.

Akraberg, Île suduroy

We arrived on the island of Suduroy after 2 hours of ferry... here the atmosphere is a little bit different... but the few restaurants, tells us that we are still in the Faroes.

For our first evening, the sky opens up and we decide to go to the southern tip of the island to discover the Akraberg lighthouse... we are almost alone with our sheep, it's blowing, it's not very hot but the sunset is magnificent.

beinisvord, suduroy island

On the way back to Vágur, we decided not to take the new road with the tunnel, but the winding track up to Beinisvord between Sumba and Lopra... we almost turned back because the fog was so dense until the light became... a real sight.

Rituskor & àsmundarstakkur, suduroy island

The next day, for this full day of Suduroy, we have several excuses on our wish-list, we start by going to the very north of the island to Sandvik to walk to the famous spots, Rituskor & Asmundarstakkur, we spent some time to make some pictures while apprehending the site but fighting the elements... wind & fog. It was a great time and we would have stayed longer if the rain hadn't intensified...

But little question... would you have crossed the little bridge?

The rest of the day was spent in the vicinity of Vágur and Hof looking for nice photo spots with the fishermen's huts, but unfortunately we couldn't go for a walk to the Hvannhaga lake due to the weather.

Famjin, suduroy island

Before taking the ferry back to the capital, we still have Famjin to discover, the road itself is beautiful after the climb from Oravik. But here one comes especially to discover the 1st flag of the Faroes, which is in the small church of the village.

where to stay | where to eat

We stayed in a lovely BnB, Brim in Vágur. The decoration is nice, neat and Nordic style, the breakfast delicious... small downside... you hear absolutely everything that happens in the house.

For the restaurants it is again a bit complicated, we tested the Bàran fried food bar and the Matstovan Gardslon restaurant in Vágur whose welcome was very nice despite our difficulties in communicating.

-> Tórshavn [ 1 Night ]

Here we go, unfortunately, for the last stage of our road trip... back to the main island for our night in the capital.

Tórshavn, Streymoy island

Our last afternoon will be spent in the small capital of the Faroes... I don't think we have ever seen such a cute centre... it feels like another time... the historical centre is very well preserved and still houses the government administration and houses... we enjoy walking around this nice part of the city and drinking a coffee in the café-library Paname Café, before heading to our hotel for our last night.

whre to stay | where to eat in Tórshavn

Our last night was spent in the chic Hafnia Hotel… very well located at 2 steps from the centre and the port... Enjoy our nice room "where is Waldo?"... We let you search a little before giving you the answer... (see end of the article).

For the aperitif, head to Mikkeller, where we then sampled several Danish craft beers, before treating ourselves to a delicious fish meal (finally) at Barbara Fish House.

Nodradalur, Streymoy island

Before returning our Bou-bou to the airport, we take the old road from Toshavn to Leynar with a small diversions to Nordadalur to enjoy again the landscapes we will soon leave.

Leynar, Streymoy island

Here is our roadtrip ends, thanks to Virginie for the organization of this beautiful trip. It closes on a beautiful note, because we met at the airport Anne & Vincent, acquaintances who thanks to this return trip will become very good friends... We had to meet by chance in the Faroes so that we could take the time to get to know each other better and discover our common passions for travel and images. We look forward to seeing you again, friends, see you soon!

• Fog, wind & sheep... a breath of fresh air guaranteed ! •

-> the essentials in your bag

For a trip to the Faroe Islands you need to have in your hiking bag: everything to experience the 3 seasons in one day (for a trip in June, no risk of snow): sun, intense fog, wind & rain! But if you are well equipped... it's only happiness!

waterproof jacket
waterproof overtrousers
gloves, hat, neck warmer
thermos & picnic
waterproof walking shoes (and not white ones like Tracy's... as the ground is quite muddy)
your camera
a pair of binoculars for bird watching

-> for a next time if the weather is good...

There are still a lot of places to discover and walk... the weather being very changeable, with a dancing but often omnipresent fog and hiking trails mostly unmarked... We knew that sometimes we had to give up some discoveries... So if the weather allows it, don't hesitate to put on your walking shoes for the following highlights

The ascent of Slættaratindur, the highest point of the Faroe Islands, reaching 880 m in altitude. It is customary to climb it on 21 June, the summer solstice, to watch the sun set and wait just a few hours for the sun to rise again.
A day on the island of Mykines, an undisputed paradise for the beautiful puffins.
The hike to Cape Enniberg, which is located at the northern tip of the island of Vidoy. Its vertical wall, 754 m above the Atlantic, is the second highest promontory in Europe. At its base is the Seyðtorva Arch, which is the northernmost point of the Faroe Islands.
Hike to the heart-shaped lake, Vatnsdalsvatn, on the island of Vagar.
The hike to the famous "island rock", Dranganir, the Faroese emblem, which can only be done with a local guide.

This is the map reference and the only guidebook (in English) dedicated to the Faroe Islands. You will also find a lot of practical information on the official Faroe Islands website: Visit Faroe Islands.