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THE NORDIC SERIES, DAY 5

FAROE ISLANDS

Naturally my posts are honest but never too serious but with the effect the Faroe Islands had on me these next few days I will try my hardest to do it justice on these next few posts. This place is a different world, its magical!

IT’S LANDSCAPE IS ON STEROIDS

Flying into the Faroes I knew I was going to be impressed but that would remain the understatement of my 2019 travels – by far! The landscape was rugged and although a very small country it still felt very imposing!

WHERE IS THE FAROE ISLANDS?

FLYING IN

The entire flight we were treated with clear skies the flight took us over Trælanípan, a hike I will do just an hour later. The airport was small but modern with only one other plane, I could see there wasn’t going to be many tourists getting in the way.

CAMPERVAN

I rented a car which is a must in the Faroes but if I was to do it again I would rent a campervan for the extra flexibility. it’s a small country which takes approx. 2hrs to drive from the airport in the south island to the north island, Vidoy, so between stops drives are usually short.

FAROE ISLANDS….

  • It was formed by volcanic activity 30 million years ago.
  • There is no McDonalds anywhere on the island.
  • They won their first football match against Austria in 1990, which prompted a huge party.
  • There are only a handful of traffic lights on the Faroe Islands.

TRÆLANÍPAN

Seeing as the weather was proving to be unusually clear I decided to do one of the hikes I had planned. This is the main reason why I didn’t book any accommodation before I arrived so I can see what the weather is looking like. Fortunately it’s just a 5 minute drive from the airport and although almost 10km it was easy even for a novice. Here I got my first taste of what I would be in for, I was literally on cloud 9!

FAROE ISLANDS….

  • There are no prisons on the islands.
  • The Faroese language is similar to Icelandic.
  • It covers 545 square miles, is 70 miles long and 46 miles wide.
  • The population is around 50,000

FEES

Most of the land is privately owned so it is common that a fee is charged for each hike, usually 200DKK, which believe it or not is £30! Although expensive it’s a hike you must do. There’s a visitor hut where you can get “free” (after you’ve paid £30) tea and coffee and other snacks and drinks, great if you forget to bring some as it will be necessary.

OPTICAL ILLUSION

Arriving at the end you get the most unusual view of the sea in the foreground and the river Sørvágsvatn in the background – the one we flew over when arriving. From the viewpoint it appears the river sits on top of the cliff, several hundred metres above sea level when in fact it is only 40metres. I have seen many photos of this online and it was great to finally see it with my own eyes.

Vagar Islands in Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands has me
David Simpson at Vagar Islands in Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands has me

I met a lad, Daniel who was from Melbourne, he’s rented a motorhome, which in turn would end up being the right choice. After finishing the hike I set off to the north island in the hope it would be clear tomorrow and stayed in a small quaint town called Leirvik.

Rugged landscape in Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands has me
Vagar Islands in Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands has me

FINAL THOUGHTS

Although I got my eyes open to the beauty of The Faroes, it was only a taste of what was to come!

NEXT UP

Getting blown away on Mt Villingdalsfjall – literally and figuratively Click to read.

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
137/229

This post is part of The Nordic Series, click to explore or for episode 1 click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.

Question Time

  • Have you been to The Faroe Islands?
  • What did you think?
  • Did you do the Trælanípan hike?

Let me know in the comments below . . .

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GLACIER, ICE SHEETS & THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
GETTING BLOWN OFF MT VILLINGARDALSFJALL

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