Spectacular Faroe Islands Hikes

Seven Most Spectacular Faroe Islands Hikes

The strikingly beautiful Faroe Islands located in the Norwegian Sea between Norway and Iceland, are a magnet for adventure travelers.  The top reason for traveling to the Faroe Islands is without a doubt for the scenic hiking. It’s known across the world for its stunning landscapes, mountain peaks capped with snow, gorgeous reflective lakes, and coastal walks. No matter how long you’re heading for, you can squeeze in some amazing hikes. Here are the top seven Faroe Islands Hikes with some different difficulty levels for all hikers.

Gjogv Cliff Hike, Eysturoy

This hike is definitely one of the easier options in the Faroe Islands. It’s located in and around the picturesque village of Gjogv. You start in town and then meander up the cliffside that hugs the coastline. Halfway along, there’s some gorgeous wooden steps that take you easily up the path. To access the next part of the trail, you’ll have to pay 50 krone as a conservation fee. As per Will Young, a travel writer at State of Writing “at the top of the wooden steps, you’ll hit the path again as it winds up to the highest point. Once there, there will be signs that will direct you to a different path back into the village. The whole thing should only take you about an hour round trip.”

Kallur Lighthouse Hike, Kalsoy

This is an extremely well-liked Faroe Islands hike which is located on the island of Kalsoy. The hike starts at Trollanes, where you follow the path to the lighthouse. It’s an easy hike but the ground can be marshy so it’s important to have good hiking boots. The hike is about 2 hours roundtrip, but you’ll probably end up spending tons of time at the lighthouse taking pictures of the magical views.

Tjornuvik to Saksun Hike, Streymoy

Tjornuvik is one of the most stunning yet remote villages in all of the Faroe Islands. Even the drive along the coastal road to the village is in parts striking and scary. The hike is magnificent if you manage to get good weather, although it’s quite steep. You leave Tjornuvik by the waterfall and follow the red stakes. As you get up the mountain, follow the cairns for about an hour until you reach the top. Then, you walk along the ridgeline for a half hour and back down into the Instagram-worthy village of Saksun. This hike is only worth doing on clear days or you could get lost on the mountain.

Fossa Waterfall, Streymoy

This is the largest waterfall in the Faroe Islands, and you can hike to the middle of the waterfall’s height. It takes abut 45 minutes, then you can get some great views of the top section or look down at the bottom section. The route isn’t well marked and can become quite muddy and slippery so hike with care.

Slættaratindur Mountain Hike, Eysturoy

This is the tallest mountain in the Faroe Islands, but it’s not actually that high and is still a doable climb for hikers. Park at the base of the mountain between Gjogv and Eidi, and the roundtrip loop will take you between two to three hours. The path is quite well-marked but steep over the first 40 minutes. After the halfway point it becomes much smoother. Keep your eye on the weather because it can be very unpredictable and a hot sunny day can still bring snow near the top. The view is well-worth the hike though, with views of surrounding mountains and the ocean.

Lake Sørvágsvatn Hike, Vagar

Lake Sørvágsvatn is one of the most popular places to go in the Faroe Islands, and once you see it, you’ll understand why. It’s also known as the optical illusion lake next to a sheer drop cliff by the Atlantic Ocean. According to Jon Thorpe, a lifestyle blogger at Big Assignments and OX Essays, “the cliff wall is wrapped around, so there are great views of the lake, cliffs, and ocean in one amazing view. The whole length is about 2 hours, including extra time at the lake to take some pictures of the scenery.”

Klaksvik Town Hike, Bordoy

This hike is up the mountain that dominates the town of Klaksvik, and from there you can get fantastic viewpoints of the three surrounding islands. You can drive up most of the mountain, and then it’s a 45-minute hike to the peak for the best sunset shots of the whole Faroe Islands.

*****************************
About the Author:  Ellie Coverdale is a lifestyle and career writer for Boom Essays and Australian Help. She loves traveling the world to some off the beaten path destinations and sharing her thoughts and suggestions to her readers on the best locations. She’s an avid hiker who also works for Paper Fellows as a writing teacher.