The small island nation of the Faroe Islands is really unique.
The land of the Faroe, hard to cultivate but rich in fresh grass, would enable settlers to fed large numbers of animals. Over time, inhabitants explored the land and populated the most convenient regions.
Feeding themselves mainly with fish, which was abundant, the first settlers built stone villages with their own hands.
When you say Faroese, you mean sheep. Everywhere you go, at every step, they are even on the roads, that’s why there are signs everywhere to inform you. Although small, it is still very interesting that there are more sheep than people in the country. In fact, there are over 20.000 more sheep than people.
YES, please!
While the capital is charming and has lots of great restaurants, we so much appreciated the natural scenery on the different islands, and we wanted to explore as much as possible during the time we had. And now in our 2nd post about Feroe Islands, (you can read the first article here) we want to share with you some of these amazing places.
On our second trip, we woke up early in the morning, got in the car, drove to the big ship called The Smyril, a passenger and car ferry that takes 200 cars and 975 passengers. The trip takes 2 hours and 5 minutes.
So here we are, we are heading to Suduroy Island, the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. We have already been to Vidareidi, the northernmost point of the Faroe Islands on Vidoy Island, we have also been to Mykines is the westernmost of the 18 main islands of the Faroese Archipelago, now we want to reach the southernmost in the village of Sumba on Saduroy Island. And this was such a great choice.
This island of over 4000 inhabitants, which is exactly the size of Liechtenstein, has a less spectacular relief, there are several spectacular viewpoints surveying the west-coast which are easily accessible by road if you’re driving. By car, you can see most of the sights in less than 12 hours. One day is more than enough to visit also some local pubs and restaurants.
Since we left early, we had our breakfast on the shipDriving around Suduroy Sheep everywhere, the land of sheep. The Faroese Sheepdog looks a lot like the Border Collie The joy of a sunset in Suduroy To Jump or Not To Jump, That is the Question Tvøroyri is the biggest village on Suðuroy and the capital of this island
Then another day we got back on the boat, this time a smaller boat, and went to listen to a concert in the cave on the island of Nelsoy. We moved away from the shore of the capital Torshavn in cloudy weather that seems to herald a rough sea. The concert was beautiful, the sound of the instruments is special in the wagon of the cave was unique and enchanting. But this was not the best experience for Anna, as the water was agitated and she vomited several times.
We returned to the capital in the sun and relaxed for the rest of the day.
We leave the capital behind and head to Nelsoy Island Tinganes, part of Tórshavn. This is the Faroese Parliament. They met there for the 1st time in 825. It is said to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest in the world. I wish you understood what these Faroese are saying Somehow we got here. Now let’s enjoy the music That expression tells you that this trip was not the most inspired choice As we return to the capital, Anna’s smile reappears. So is the sun
Another day, another place. This time in Saksun
Saksun appears to be remote but it is only about 45 minutes from Torshavn. The village is surrounded by hills with numerous waterfalls cascading down to the sea at the end of the valley. Saksun lies in the bottom of what used to be an inlet of the sea, surrounded by high mountains.
The sun was out in full force that day, and we enjoyed our own barbecue by the ocean with local friends.
One of our favorite villages on the island of Eysturoy is Elduvik. Here we ate the best beef steak at a local restaurant. Yes, you read that right, although the village has a little over 20 people, it also has a restaurant. And a good one.
Elduvik is split into two parts by a small river. The church in Elduvík dates from 1952.
Because every trip has a story, one thing to remember about Elduvik is that most bachelors are here, so it’s good to know for those single girls who want to visit. This was true when we visited, do not be upset with us if this is no longer valid 😉
Getting to the Faroe Islands and not catching fish is like getting to Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower.
One of the early days when we were based in Skala, together with our local friend, we boarded his boat early in the morning and spread the net. After a very short time, we fished no less than 3 large fish baskets. There is no lie, the pictures speak for themselves.
Who wakes up in the morning, catches a lot of fish About a quarter of today’s catch Anna trying to pose with the biggest fish Hungry and noisy seagulls Only the fillet remains from the fish, the rest is thrown into the sea and to seagulls Not bad for a beginner, right? The fish is gutted immediately after catching.
The need to explore does not end at all in a country with so many special places.
In the north of Eysturoy Island you will find a small and picturesque village called Gjogv, located a little more than 60 kilometers from the faroese capital, Tórshavn.
We have been twice to Feroe and each time we wanted to get here. If we ever go again, for sure Gjogv is on the to-do-list. This village has less than 50 people living there and has a church that dates back to 1929. It is simply gorgeous!
A little color in so much green And silence has an address. Is here Approaching the village Entering the wonderful village of Gjogv Little Faroese swimming at 6 degrees, water temperature Want to feel like you are on another planet. The answer is Gjogv When the sun is shining, everything is singing around Where the river flows into the ocean
Some things to keep in mind when traveling to these remote islands:
Prepare yourself for all kinds of weather. expect the best, but be prepared for the worst.
Everyone speaks English, so no stress here.
Prices are slightly higher than in other countries on the continent, but it is all very satisfying after all.
Travel only in summer and avoid travel in other seasons, there is light in summer and extremely dark in winter.
The flight to the Faroe Islands can often be adventurous, the Atlantic air currents can shake any aircraft well. It’s not dangerous, but expect turbulence, sometimes even the biggest possible
Keep in mind that no alcohol in supermarkets allowed, the only place you will find alcohol is at the Rusan stores that can be found on all larger islands. It is also forbidden to bring alcohol with you
The Faroe Islands does not have real prisons, anyone sentenced for more than 1.5 years is sent to prisons in “mother” Denmark! Better to be good and behave nicely.
It’s easy to pose when everything around is scenery It’s pretty sunny in July, but cool Leirvík is a village on Eysturoy island and the last village before entering the sub-sea tunnel to the Northern Islands. My first fish caught directly by hand We will miss the peace of this place, but we will always have it in our souls Waiting to board the plane that took us to Stockholm, but stopping first in Stavanger
The last part of the story is that it was quite difficult for us to leave these places and somehow it was as difficult for the plane too, because when taking off, the plane broke down right during the take-off attempt, so we had to go back in the terminal and wait til the problem is solved.
The first monks that arrived and inhabited the Faroe Islands found splendid and picturesque landscapes. Yes, monks in the medieval age were also explorers! So do we. Because the Faroe Islands have remained the same over the centuries, it is such a civilized place and yet untouched by modern civilization.
We were so happy and blessed to reach it, to touch it and to wonder this wanderland.
„Mogga i munnin” Feroe Islands, which means „to live well” or “Sanatate multa” in Romanian).
Every Trip Creates a Story. We are catchynomads, we created Enjoy Romania, and we’d love to show you our beautiful country.
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