The Faroe Islands – part 1

The Faroe Islands, in the North Atlantic Ocean, despite being the National Geographic destination of the year 2015, are still considered an hidden gem and remain unknown to most people. That means it is still possible to enjoy all the wonders this little country has to offer without the hassle of big crowds moving around (well most places would not be able to handle something like that anyway).

It is an heaven for landscape photography, birdwatching, trekking and anything nature related…my ideal place for an holiday…the weather being the only possible drawback since it is often rainy and windy also during summertime. As a matter of fact it did rain every single day during my early August visit, but I was lucky enough to able to enjoy most of the places on my list, so I cannot complain; and considering the landscape, even a cloudy and dark sky had its own charm.

There are 18 main islands, but most of the people live in Torshavn, the capital, which is also a good base for visiting almost every other place considering its central location and facilities. It is also the home port of the Norrona, so I too have spent my first days in the Faroe in the area. For the Eastern islands another good option is Klaksvik, the second city in the country, situated in a wonderful fjord which is worth the trip by itself. If time is not an issue, also staying in one of the Southern islands is a worthy addition since there’s plenty of nice places still “undiscovered”.

Since public transport is tailored to the needs of the everyday life of the locals, the best way to move around is by car even if visiting only the most popular places, which usually are in remote areas anyway. There are only a few roads across the islands, sometimes small single-lane narrow roads which even google maps or the gps on my car have mapped wrong, but traffic is almost non-existent and it is absolutely impossible to get lost. My advice is to simply explore when going from one place to another at a slow pace. Just watch out for sheep that seem to really like the roads and the grass on the roadside!

During my week in the Faroe, I’ve been to the most iconic places like Gasadalur, Gjogv, Saksun, Trollanes, but I’ve also taken some time to explore off the beaten path and to spend a weekend on Suduroy, the Southern tip of the archipelago. Below I’ve added some images taken while exploring these beautiful islands; the most popular spots will be covered in the next post.