Despite its notoriously volatile weather, the Faroe Islands is gaining traction as a tourist destination, with hiking ranked as a top activity alongside sightseeing and boat tours. For one thing, the highly compact topography of the islands is extraordinary, with magnificent views within ready reach wherever you are—plenty of locations on mountain ranges and along the rugged shorelines offer some of the most spectacular vistas and breathtaking sceneries.
Combine all of the above with the island nation’s advanced road and communication infrastructure, and you’re virtually guaranteed to have an unforgettable experience as a hiker with all key locations within reach. That is, provided decent weather and visibility. To be sure, keep track of the forecast, as local weather changes can happen swiftly and unexpectedly to bring rain, fog or winds, depending on the season. Clearly, not all but still many hikes are perfectly worthwhile even in rainy or somewhat windy conditions; however, safety precautions remain essential, including the use of appropriate footwear and anti-skid clothes.
Hiking opportunities abound everywhere—there are moderate and there are challenging hikes, whether you happen to be on the mainland or on some of the few outlying islands.
Among the favorite trails, you’ll find the hike from Sørvágur on the island Vágar to the Drangarnir sea arch, adjacent to the famous islet Tindhólmur, which by the way has featured in several Hollywood productions. The challenging hike is only allowed with the participation of an official guide. Vagar is connected by subsea tunnel to the Faroese mainland, making it easy to access at any time.
Another top hiking destination is the iconic Kallur lighthouse on the northern end of Kalsoy island, in the Klaksvík region. Although Klaksvík, too, is linked to the mainland by underwater tunnel, you’ll need to take the ferry from Klaksvík to Syðradalur. From there you’ll go by car or bus and pass through four narrow tunnels to reach Trøllanes, a location that became famous for scenes shot nearby, at the Kallur sea cliff, of the James Bond movie ‘No Time To Die’. The hiking trail to the Kallur lighthouse starts from the village of Trøllanes.
Then there is the Trælanípan and or Bøsdalafossur hiking trail, one of the most—perhaps the most—popular. You set off from Miðvágur on Vágar along the lake Leitisvatn (Sørvágsvatn), the largest lake of the Faroes, also known as the ‘hanging lake’ or the ‘lake above the ocean’. The hike to the Bøsdalafossur waterfall is moderate and easy. The waterfall is situated at the seaside end of the lake, with the imposing Trælanípan sea cliff nearby to the southeast, making the Trælanípan leg of the hike more challenging, both because of the more steep terrain there and for dangers in going too close to the edge of the cliff.
Numerous popular hiking trails are found elsewhere on the mainland, including on Streymoy, Eysturoy, and Sandoy. The same is true of the remaining islands, not least Suðuroy to the south and Mykines to the west. With the outlying islands all accessible by ferry and or helicopter, there’s every reason for hikers to take them on as well.