A winter roadtrip through North Eysturoy

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Since I didn’t have much succes finding a proper lightweight and waterproof tent in Tórshavn, I decided to try Couchsurfing instead. I knew that it was very last minute, so I contacted everyone available on Faroe Islands. I got a few answers, some saying that they already had guests, some saying that they were busy or travelling themselves, but thankfully, a nice man named Rói said that he would help me find a place and later that evening, he told me that he had found a lovely couple in Tórshavn, who would take me in. And Ása and Erling are indeed very lovely!

They have a huge house with the most spectacular view of Tórshavn, and I have my own bedroom and bathroom, which is just perfect. I even got to borrow Ása’s computer, so I can continue writing on my blog. Later I met their 21-year-old grandson Regin, who I’ve become very good friends with and we’ve been hanging out ever since. The next day, I helped him move to his new apartment in the basement of Ása’s and Erling’s house and then he and his friend Hjalti took me to Argir, where I could see all of Tórshavn by night – and what a beautiful sight!

On Tuesday, Regin finished school early and took me on a tour around Eysturoy. I drove half the way, which was my first time driving in another country – pretty nerve wracking, but Faroe Islands is an easy place to drive. Apart from 80.000 sheep on the roads, there really is no danger on the Faroese roads.

Our first stop was Gjógv. I had heard about the beautiful gorge Ambadalur in Gjógv, so I really wanted to go there and see it with my own eyes. It was a spectacular place and having a personal guide wasn’t bad at all! Gjógv is a beautiful village, although I can imagine that it would be quite touristy in the summer, but it’s definitely still worth visiting.

After exploring Gjógv, we drove through a beautiful mountain area to Eiði and even saw the biggest mountain of Faroe Islands, Slættaratindur (882 m.). On the way to Eiði, we stopped at a viewing spot for Risin and Kellingin (the Giant and the Witch); two rocks that are standing just off the northern coast of Eysturoy and are famous for an old legend about their origins.

Afterwards, we had a little drive through the small village of Eiði before heading back to Streymoy and Tórshavn.

On the way back to Tórshavn, we passed the only prison in the Faroe Islands, where only short-sentence criminals are prisoned. Criminals with long sentences are sent to prisons in Denmark.

It was probably the prettiest prison I’ve ever seen and these prisoners honestly have the best view in the world!

When we arrived back in Tórshavn, I treated Regin to a meal at Sunset Boulevard before going to bed, so I could be fresh for the next mornings adventure.

Guided tours through North Eysturoy

The area covered in this post is one of the most popular in the Faroe Islands, and there is a vast array of tours to choose from. If you’d like to immerse yourself in the area, I would recommend this photography tour, but if you only have a short time on the Faroe Islands, you might want to consider this full-day “see it all” tour to all the highlights, which includes Gjógv and Eiði and the mountain road between them!