The Faroe Islands are one of Europe’s hidden gems and perfect for anyone who loves hiking and a little peace and quiet. You’ve probably seen the incredible photos of rugged landscapes or heard about the island where you can see puffins. As a Danish descendent, I knew vaguely of its existence and added it to my bucket list. But where are the Faroe Islands? They’re not exactly easy to get to!
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Where are the Faroe Islands?
So even though I’d been wanting to go, I was like, where are the Faroe Islands, exactly?
Politically, they’re not an independent country and are part of the Danish Kingdom. If you drew a triangle between Iceland, Norway, and Scotland, you’d find the Faroe Islands nestled almost perfectly at the centre. So still close to Denmark, but not a casual bike ride from Copenhagen.
50,000 people call the Faroes home and live on one of its 18 islands. They’re mostly connected by bridges, but some islands are still only accessible by boat or plane! As with their Icelandic neighbours, there are more sheep than people living in the Faroe Islands.
Your answer to “Where are the Faroe Islands?”
How to get to the Faroe Islands
There are only a few ways to get to the Faroe Islands, and flying is the only reasonable one. While it exists, I’m not going to cover the 40-hour boat journey. Cities that offer direct routes to Vágar Airport (FAE) in the Faroe Islands include:
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Reykjavik, Iceland
- Oslo, Norway
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Paris, France
- Barcelona, Spain
- New York, USA
Atlantic Airways and Scandinavian Airlines are the most common operators, but other airlines like Air France also operate some direct flights to the Faroe Islands.
I thought this was interesting: Atlantic Airlines just launched a new route from New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) to Vágar (FAE). That airport isn’t actually in New York City. It’s more than an hour north, so only seems convenient for a handful of people. We’ll see how that goes… but I guess it’s more convenient than going all the way to another country!?
I flew Toronto — Reykjavík with Icelandair and then Reykjavík — Vágar with Atlantic Airways and it was an easy journey.
Stop in Iceland!
A huge advantage to stopping over in Iceland rather than another European city is that you can squeeze in a quick trip to the world-famous Blue Lagoon! It’s just 20 minutes from the Keflavik International Airport.
So, if you’re strategic with your booking, you can leave for a few hours during your layover. Use it to enjoy a relaxing soak in a geothermal hot spring before continuing on to the Faroes. I’d try to book an 8ish-hour layover just so you’re not anxious about running out of time. You only need like 3 hours at the Blue Lagoon, but you could easily spend more!
There’s a direct airport shuttle and a luggage storage service, so it’s honestly super easy to include in your itinerary.
Make sure you book your Blue Lagoon tickets and the shuttle in advance!
Obviously, Iceland is incredible and has a lot more to offer than the Blue Lagoon. So if you can swing it, I’d also suggest trying to tack on some days to explore before/after your trip to the Faroe Islands.
Photos like this are what made me start asking, “Where are the Faroe Islands?!”
What to do in the Faroe Islands
Now that you've gotten the answer to "Where are the Faroe Islands?", we can get to the good stuff.
Pick from several amazing hikes
This is both a world class hiking destination and famously cold and rainy place. So be sure to bring a good pair of waterproof hiking shoes/boots. I definitely recommend these walks:
- Trælanípa: This is the #1 must-do hike in the Faroe Islands. You’ll stand on the edge of rugged, jagged cliffs, and see a freshwater lake meet the ocean with a dramatic waterfall. I don’t know how to describe it other than “mood.”
Klakkur: The peak looks out over some neighbouring islands, and you can also see salmon farms from a good vantage point, which I find strangely aesthetically pleasing.
- Saksun Beach: Saksun is a super charming little village set among mountains with cascading falls and a black sand beach. Even the drive out there is beautiful, so I recommend making the trip even if you’re not interested in the walk.
Annoyingly, Trælnípa and Saksun Beach both cost money to visit. I think the outdoors should be free, but whatever, they’re on private land so the owners can do what they want.
Trælnípa: 200 DKK ($30 USD) per person
Saksun Beach: 75 DKK ($12 USD) per person
If you look up Google reviews for Trælnípa, you’ll see it has a pretty shit rating because everyone is so mad about the fee. There’s absolutely 0 reason the actual hike should have a 3.5/5 star rating lol. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been in my life. But I understand the frustration. Unfortunately, next to nothing in the Faroe Islands is free.
Chase some waterfalls
If there’s one thing you do in the Faroes, it should be making the drive out to see Múlafossur waterfall.
(Yes. I know fossur means falls, so technically you don’t need to say “Múlafossur waterfall,” but I did it anyway for clarity.)
It was only accessible on foot until 2004 when they finished the road and tunnel. It would have taken, I don’t know… days to reach it on foot before then. So thankful for modern infrastructure.
ALSO if you’re lucky, you can hang out with the best dog ever. He was waiting for us in the parking lot with a rock instead of a ball to play fetch. He then walked all the way to the falls and back with us. Such a delight.
There are other waterfalls, but this is the most important one.
Spot interesting wildlife
The Faroe Islands are famous for puffin sighting from April to September. The island of Mykines is the puffin haven, but you can also see them in other parts of the archipelago.
While not officially an animal-focused activity, I also really loved visiting the Vestmanna Cliffs. We took a boat tour and spotted one puffin and a billion seagulls. Sure, seagulls aren’t that exotic, but they added to the drama of the cliffs. Just trust me.
Let’s not get into the controversial (and pretty horrific) whaling traditions of the Faroe Islands. But, if you’re an animal lover, there are boat tours that go out for ethical whale and dolphin spotting from June to August.
Eat unique food
We had some incredible meals in the Faroe Islands, and if you like seafood, you’ll love it here.
One of the most interesting fine-dining restaurants I’ve ever eaten at was in Torshavn (the capital city). It’s called Ræst, in a cozy historic building that will make you feel like you’re in someone’s house. The central theme of the restaurant is fermented food, so some dishes on the tasting menu smelled a little funky, but they’ve made it into art and it was all incredible. Everything 10/10.
You can also go for traditional Faroese comfort food and enjoy a Sunday lamb roast at Katrina Christiansen.
You should also try the local Föroya Bjór (which means Faroese Beer – conveniently also the name of the brewery based in Klaksvik). And it’s worth checking out the Mikkeller tap room in Torshavn (even though this brewery is actually Danish, not Faroese).
Traditional Lamb Roast
Sea Urchin Soup
Sushi because why not
Tasting menu dish at Ræst
Visit the Bónus
This is my favourite grocery store in the world. Iceland has ruined it by changing the original branding, but so far the Faroe Islands have remained pure and true to the Bonus roots.
If you’re on a tight budget and plan to cook during your visit, this is the best place to get groceries, but even if you’re not cooking, I need you to go see it. Thanks.
Now that you’ve seen this you’re like, “Where are the Faroe Islands? I need to see this pig IRL.”
I loved it so much I bought a commemorative sweater with the logo.
Getting around the Faroe Islands
With 18 islands to explore, you’ll need transport to see the best sights.
You have to rent a car!
You could use the bus or walk within Torshavn, but you’ll need to a car to go literally anywhere else. As with most airports, you can pick one up as soon as you land at Vagar. I always use DiscoverCars to find rentals.
Consider a public transport helicopter
This is a whole thing and I’ll go into it in more detail in another post. But because of how rural some of the Faroe Islands are, they’re best connected by helicopter… and the Danish government subsidizes most of the cost! So I expect this to change quickly as the islands become a more popular tourist destination. BUT, for now, you can book a helicopter ride for under $100 USD per person.
It’s even cheaper for locals, but I still consider $100 a steal. It requires some planning, but is such a unique opportunity that I think it’s totally worth trying to make it happen! The booking page is here and you can translate it into English in the top right corner.
Catch a boat
We took a boat from Hvnnasound to Svinoy and it was just $6 USD each. You could stay on the same boat and cruise around Hvnnasound, Svinoy, Fugloy, and back for the same price. It’s a really cute old boat, and it doubles as a bit of a delivery system, so you’ll get to see how people on the rural islands get their goods.
There are other options like this, like the boat to Mykines or Sandoy.
I feel this goes without saying, but there’s no tour guide on this type of boat. Imagine the Toronto street car driver telling you about the history of King St. on your commute to work every day. If you’re looking for something more formal, a trip like what we did to the Vestmanna Cliffs is perfect, but it cost like 10x more.