A visit to Nólsoy, the island across the fjord

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Since I’ve already been to Tórshavn before, I decided that one day was enough for sightseeing this time around. On the day of arrival to Faroe Islands, I spent the afternoon walking around the city, studying the beautiful churches, visiting shops, but buying absolutely nothing (for the first time in my life) and spent most of the time in Vidarlundin, which is my favourite place in Tórshavn. It has a very special atmosphere and is a beautiful place to go for a stroll.

Afterwards, I spent some time relaxing at my hostel, had a little Skype session with my family and got to know my roommate, Thorhallur aka. Big Demon. He called me Little Demon after the small Faroese island Litla Dimun and I called him Big Demon after the bigger Faroese island Stora Dimun.

It was a different, yet interesting experience to share a room with a male, but that is also something that I really like about hostels; the fact that it forces you to have an open mind and get to know people that you otherwise wouldn’t have known. And, as I later found out, Thorhallur was a great roommate and an even better person in himself.

Before we left the ferry, Ildi had sent me on a mission to find her a caramat, as the one she had didn’t suit her needs. Well! I had already decided that I was going to Nólsoy, an Island that is situated 20 minutes across the fjord from Tórshavn and I wanted to catch the ferry at 12:30, so I got up early to go on a hunt for the caramat, but finding one in Tórshavn is simply impossible. I went to several shops asking if they had one and in the end, I ended up at a shop down the harbour, where a friendly (and locally famous) man named Halleluja-Sofus offered to drive me to Jysk, which is situated just outside Tórshavn, where I was certain I would find one. But all they had were yoga mats, so I bought one of those. Afterwards, he drove me to the ferry and I sailed off to Nólsoy for just 40 kr. for a return ticket.

Once again, I experienced the friendly nature and kindness of the Faroese people and it makes me want to stay here forever.

Twenty minutes later, I arrived in Nólsoy and the fresh and clean air was the first thing I noticed. Despite being so close to the capital city, Nólsoy is a very calm and peaceful place, where there is no sign of rush or stress among the locals. It was indeed very refreshing to go there after being in Tórshavn for two days.

My first hour in Nólsoy was spent in the quiet village, where I went for a stroll and tried to imagine what life would be like on such a small island. While walking around the village, I managed to lose my sense of direction, so I had to ask a little boy, who only spoke Faroese, to guide me to the only shop on the island. I understood most of what he said and found the shop quite easily afterwards. It was nice to test my (non-existent) Faroese skills! I bought some fruit and juice and headed up to Eggjarklettur (372 m), which is the only mountain on Nólsoy.

I hiked up towards the mountain for about 1,5 hours and met many sheep and even had a conversation with one of them. I then sat on a large rock and ate my lunch with the most spectacular view of the fjord, Tórshavn, the rest of Nólsoy and the surrounding islands and mountains with snow on top.

As I didn’t have enough time to complete the route to the summit of the mountain, I then decided to walk back to the small harbour in the village and wait for the ferry that would take me back to Tórshavn.

I would like to have spent more time on Nólsoy and walk the whole way around the mountain, but who knows if I’ll be back? I very much expect that I will be. Nólsoy is too beautiful to be left alone by me.

Even for a short day trip, Nólsoy is definitely worth considering with it’s clean and fresh air, wild nature and laid back lifestyle of the locals.

Interested in exploring Nólsoy by boat?

Enjoy a unique trip around Nólsoy by boat where you’ll get to see the many hidden caves of the islands. It’s the perfect way to spot the seals, puffins and other seabirds that thrive on and around Nólsoy. The two-hour tour is available from April to October. The price starts at 2,100 DKK for 1-3 people. Read more here!

Alternatively, you could take a summer trip on the historic scooner Norðlýsið, where the captain will sail you around the island before stopping in the village. The three-hour tour is available from May to August. The price is 850 DKK per person for adults and 425 DKK for children. Read more here.