Your pocket guide to a remote island called Vágar located in the North Atlantic Ocean
Hello, my lovely readers ! Hope you all are doing great out there. This time I am visiting a set of islands situated half-way between Scotland and Iceland. These are called the Faroe Islands. The group consists of 18 different islands. 17 of them are inhabited. I visited only 8 of them though. In this post blog, I will take you through the first island that I travelled to called Vágar. This is the island with most of the Faroese attractions and also has an international airport. I have marked the google location of each place listed in this guide. You can save these locations in your phone and use it for navigation during your trip.
So readers, let’s get started !
In This Guide
Why visit the Faroe Islands
The word Faroe means sheep. Around 50000 people live on this tiny set of islands. There are, however, 70000 sheep. The capital city is Tórshavn which enjoys its status since the Viking times. People here speak in English. Yes, you heard it right. The native language is Faroese though, an old Norse language of Scandinavia which is closest to the Icelandic language. The Faroe Islands are known for their narrow fjords, steep cliffs and treeless landscapes. These islands have been in an isolation for centuries which has resulted in the preservation of old traditions. One of the highlights are the traditional turf roof houses that can be found in some villages. The top reason I can give you for visiting the Faroe Islands is that you can reconnect to the nature. There is unbelievable natural beauty everywhere. Other reasons being dramatic skies, uncountable waterfalls and cute puffins. If you visit the islands in winter, you might even get to see the northern lights. The Faroes are not touristy like mainland Europe. So, you will have many places just to yourself and all the peace that you need for exploration.
Landing on the Faroe Islands
All international flights land on the Vágar Airport (FAE). Once you land, you can buy yourself a SIM card and either hire a taxi or get a rental car. After exiting the main airport building, you will have to walk to the left to get to the rental agencies. In order to get the keys, the agencies will ask you for your international driver’s license as well as a credit card on your name. They normally book some caution money on the credit card. So, make sure there are sufficient funds on the card. If you would like to reduce the caution amount, you might want to buy some offers from them. Also get a full insurance to save yourself from any troubles that might arise due to damages on your car. As I was on the Faroes, I got a dent on my front right door. Since I had full insurance, I could easily claim my damage payments. The airport is located near the village of Sørvágur where you will find many options for holidays homes. Many major attractions can be found on the Vágar island. The attraction closest to the airport is the lake Sørvágsvatn. If you have booked a holiday home, do not forget to buy some groceries on your way. Speed limit on the main roads is 80 km/h.
Best time to visit the Faroe Islands
I visited the Faroe Islands in the summer of 2023. The most popular summer months are June to August. The weather changes frequently and you might experience all the 4 seasons in just one day. There is a saying that if you do not like the Faroese weather, then you should wait only 5 minutes because after that the weather will change. And this saying applies to the summer months too. In summers, the days are longer with 20 hours of sunlight. So, you can spend more time on the outdoor activities and have plenty of time to drive around the islands to capture your favourite locations. You will also notice gorgeous valleys of multi-coloured flowers. Many remote islands like Mykines are only open during the summer days. If you are visiting in summer which is a high season, then book your accommodations in advance to avoid any last-minute frustrations. Always carry a raincoat and a warm jacket. The best part of summer is the opportunity to see puffins on the islands. In the autumn season, which lasts from September to November, it rains a lot. But that indirectly means, a chance to enjoy countless gorgeous waterfalls. In the winter season which lasts from November to February, the Faroese mountains get covered in snow and there is only 5 hours of daylight. Winter is not that bad as you might get to see the Aurora Borealis. Strong winds are possible throughout the year. So, if you are engaging in some outdoor activity, exercise extra caution especially if you are on cliffs.
Easiest way to access any destination
Driving around the Faroe Islands is extremely thrilling. If you get yourself a rental car, you will save a lot of time. That way you start in the day at the time you want and can visit many locations within a short period of time. Many major islands of the Faroes are well connected with undersea tunnels for which you need to pay some fees. The remote islands can be reached by ferries though. On many ferries, you can also take your rental car. Any rental car on the Faroe Islands always comes with a chip that records when and which tunnel you visited. Once you return your car, your credit card is invoiced for tunnels that you drove through. So, make sure you plan your journey in a way such that you have to drive through as less tunnels as possible. Some islands are connected both by bridge and undersea tunnel. So, in such a case try to take the bridge instead of the tunnel in order to avoid the tunnel fees. The newest subsea tunnel called Eysturoyartunnilin is 189 meters below the water’s surface at its lowest point. And it has the world’s first under water roundabout. Apart from the developed undersea tunnels, there are also some spooky mountain tunnels. I got to drive through very narrow and dark tunnels on the islands of Kalsoy, Borðoy and Viðoy.
List of dreamy places on Vágar
The island of Vágar is famous for the spectacular Múlafossur waterfall. For many years, it was only reachable via a difficult hiking trail. However, recently the Faroese government built a tunnel that provides easy access to the waterfall. The largest and the second largest Faroese lakes which are Sørvágsvatn/Leitisvatn and Fjallavatn respectively are located on Vágar. The island offers private boat tours to the breathtaking neighbouring island of Mykines. The most unique sight of this island are the 2 wild sea stacks of Drangarnir called the Stóri Drangur and Lítli Drangur. So, let us dive into details of Vágar places that will blow your mind.
Múlafossur Waterfall
There are numerous waterfalls all over the Faroe Islands. But the most captivating one is the Múlafossur waterfall located in the tiny Gásadalur village. Any trip to the Faroe Islands is incomplete without having visited this waterfall. Before 2006, this waterfall was only accessible via hiking trails. In 2006, the government inaugurated a 1.4 km long mountain tunnel called Gásadalstunnilin which made it easy to access the village and thus the waterfall via road. From the car parking, the waterfall is only 3 minutes by foot. Less than 20 people live in the Gásadalur village today. Since the opening of the tunnel, the number of tourists visiting the waterfall has drastically increased. The panoramic sight of the waterfall with the village on its top is one of a kind. Sometimes during summer, you can also spot puffins chilling on the cliffs near Múlafossur.
Location on Google Maps: Múlafossur Waterfall
Drangarnir
The Drangarnir is a combination of 2 sea stacks called Stóri Drangur and Lítli Drangur. A sea stack is a tall stone tower emerging out of the ocean. The sea stack Lítli Drangur is very small as compared to Stóri Drangur. The hike to Drangarnir is allowed only with a private guide because you must hike through a private property. The hiking can be booked on hiking.fo. This location is the reason why I flew to the Faroe Islands. I remember saving this hike on my phone almost 7 years ago and was almost in tears when I fulfilled my wish to visit this place. The hike has a medium difficulty level. Take along a raincoat, hiking poles and water resistant hiking boots. The winds were ferocious here. I had to take extra care that my photography equipments do not get blown away. Just like near Múlafossur, I saw puffins resting on the cliffs near Drangarnir. The view is phenomenal. Carry a camera with wide-angle lens to capture the scene in one frame. While you are enjoying the view of sea stacks, don’t forget to acknowledge the beauty of the peak Sundsnøva right behind you.
Location on Google Maps: Drangarnir
Lake Sørvágsvatn
Sørvágsvatn is the largest lake of the Faroe Islands. Also known as Leitisvatn, it empties into the ocean at the Bøsdalafossur waterfall. The hike to the lake is also a paid one. You can directly pay the hiking fees at the entrance of the hiking trail. If you are interested in some Faroese souvenirs, you will find some really cute ones at the shop on the entrance. The hike is very easy. Once you reach the Trælanípa peak from where the lake is seen above the ocean, you will feel the view is creating an optical illusion. A legend says that during the Viking Age, slaves were pushed off the Trælanípa peak which is why it is also called as the Slave cliff.
Location on Google Maps: Lake Sørvágsvatn & Trælanípa
Bøur
Bøur is the most beautiful village of the Vágar island and is situated very close to the Gásadalur village. From this tranquil village, the best beauty spots of Vágar are visible, namely the sea stacks Stóri Drangur (extreme left) and Lítli Drangur, the islets Tindhólmur and Gáshólmur as well as the island Mykines (extreme right). It was my first time seeing a turf house. The turf houses are houses with grass roofs and are symbolic to the Faroes. The grass roofs basically offer thermal isolation.
Location on Google Maps: Bøur
Sandavágur
The Vagar town whose name means a sandy bay was where I took my accommodation. The house I rented had a kitchen. I cooked my own meals to keep my expenses within limits. A meditative hiking trail starts behind this village. The highlight of the trail is a freestanding rock called the Trøllkonufingur meaning Witch’s finger from whose name the trail’s name is derived. The beauty of the town is amplified by its treasured church that houses a runestone (a boulder with inscriptions from the Viking age).
Location on Google Maps: Sandvágur
Summary
Apart from the list that I provided above, there are many more locations that you can visit. Just drive around the island and explore. Every corner of the island has some beauty. Just go on a long drive and take spontaneous breaks on spots you didn't know about before your arrival. I hope this article is a good starting point for your plans to visit Vágar. If you have any questions, then please feel free to leave a comment below.
Some random shots from the island
I hope the list of locations above has inspired you enough to take that dream adventure you always wished for. Let me know in the comments below if you enjoyed reading it or if you would like to know more about the island !
Related Posts
If you liked my article, then you might be interested in my other set of travel posts around Europe.
WISHING YOU ALL LOVELY READERS SAFE TRAVELS !
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