Returning to the Faroe Islands this summer, I was somewhat desperate to complete a personal goal of mine;…
Times visited: 14 (2 days in 2013, 3 weeks and 1 week in 2015, 18 days and 2 days in 2016, 11 days in 2017, 13 days in 2017, 6 days in 2018, 10 days in 2018, 6 weeks in 2019, 1 month in 2020, 2 weeks in 2021, 18 days in 2022 and 1 month in 2023)
Islands visited: Streymoy, Eysturoy, Vágar, Mykines, Borðoy, Viðoy, Kalsoy, Kunoy, Svínoy, Fugloy, Nólsoy, Koltur, Hestur, Skúvoy, Sandoy, Stóra Dímun and Suðuroy
The Faroe Islands. Doesn’t it just sound beautiful? Believe me, it is. Ever since I first stepped foot on the archipelago in 2013, I was in love. So in love that I’ve returned nine times since and still constantly dream about returning.
That first trip only gave me two half days in the country, en route to and from Iceland on a cruise with my mum. Those two days gave me a taste of the country, but it was nowhere near enough for me.
When I returned in 2015 for a three-week solo trip (my first ever solo adventure!), a love affair began. Between the Faroe Islands and I. I vowed to visit all islands, to climb all mountains, to discover all abandoned settlements and to go there at least once per year.
My solo trip gave me a much better insight into the country, the nature and the culture. I made many friends and was invited to stay with two wonderful families. I still keep in touch with them to this day.
For the following three years, I travelled back six times, but I didn’t go solo. I went with three different friends and even took my family on a trip to share my love for the country with them.
In 2019, I finally returned for a solo trip. I rented a house on Nólsoy and stayed there alone for six weeks, writing my Bachelor’s thesis and occasionally sailing to the mainland to visit friends and go on adventures. That was heaven.
Covid-19 travel restrictions got my April 2020 visit cancelled, but luckily, I was able to postpone the trip for October – and extend it from 10 days to a full month! I stayed at a very cheap hostel on Vágar and spent the entire month hiking to almost every corner of the island. I hiked most trails on the island and climbed 35 out of its 41 mountains!
I returned the following summer, in July 2021, to finish my goal of climbing all of Vágar’s mountains and hike all trails. I managed to do so, and also discovered a few new places on the island. I also spent three days on Nólsoy climbing all of its four mountains, discovering a puffin paradise and revisiting some of my favourite places on the island.
Over a year later, in September 2022, I finally revisited the Faroe Islands. I spent a week with my family, showing them around some of my favourite places and roadtripping through seven islands. We saw dolphins – my first time ever in the Faroes! My boyfriend arrived shortly before they left, and we spent the next ten days hitchhiking and camping around. Our most memorable experiences were two days on Fugloy, a sailing trip to the Vestmanna bird cliffs, a gorgeous hike to Eiðiskollur and a hike with my younger brother and friend on the mountains above Kaldbak.
In May 2023, I returned for my 14th visit, but this time it wasn’t to travel. I was there to do fieldwork on eight abandoned villages for my Master’s dissertation! It was a lot of work and a lot of fun, and I really loved that I could combine my love for the Faroe Islands, hiking, abandoned places and archaeology in one project!
I’ve seen so much and hiked so many trails over the years. So far, I’ve been able to keep the promise I made to myself in 2015!
