Where to stay in the Faroe Islands?

Staying in Torshavn, capital of the Faroe Islands

Located on Stremoy, the largest island, Torshavn is the capital of the Faroe Islands. To reach Torshavn from Torshavn-Vaga international airport, you'll need to take the road for about 45 minutes.

The best way to get around the Faroes is to rent a car, either from the airport or from the capital. In fact, even if public transport (buses and boats) is available, it's much more practical to travel by car. This is all the more true given the region's well-developed road infrastructure, with numerous bridges and tunnels between the different regions. You'll only need to take a boat to reach the south.

Torshavn is a lively town, where you'll easily find shops, cafés and restaurants. Its main sites of interest, as well as those of Stremoy, are :

• Tinganes, a traditional district of grass-roofed houses
• Skansin Fortress, the ruins of a British fortress
• National Museum of the Faroe Islands, explaining the history of these territories
• Kirihubour Cathedral, a 12th-century building south of Stremoy

Accommodation in Torshavn consists mainly of hotels and apartments. The choice of accommodation to stay is therefore quite wide, with medium to high prices. From the port of Torshavn, you can take ferries to Nolsoy in the east, Suduroy in the south, as well as to northern Denmark.

Accommodation in Vagar, to discover its natural sites

Located in the north-west of the Faroe Islands, Vagar is the first territory most tourists will see. The archipelago's only international airport is located here.

It's well worth staying a few days on Vagar to visit the island's natural attractions. Although less lively than Streymoy, Vagar is an ideal place for hiking. The most famous of these is the one nicknamed "the letter carrier's hike" after a Danish film was made here.

Vagar's main sites of interest are :

• lake Leitisvatn (or Sorvagsvatn), the archipelago's largest lake, leading to the Bosdalafossur waterfall
• mulafossur waterfall, from which you can see puffins depending on the season
• gasadalur waterfall, from where you can see the island of Mykines
• the Faroese War Museum, explaining the archipelago's role in the Second World War

From the airport, it's a 30-minute drive to Streymoy. From the port of Sorvagur, on the west coast of Vagar, you can take a ferry to Mykines. The journey takes 45 minutes and costs just a few euros. You can also take a 10-minute helicopter flight.

Accommodation in Vagar consists mainly of apartments and houses. These are mainly found around the airport and Sandavágur, the main town in the east.

Stay in Eysturoy, the second largest territory in the Faroe Islands

The second largest island, Eysturoy lies to the east of Stremoy. Runavik, Eysturoy's main town, is the archipelago's third largest.

To the north, there are several hiking trails, including Gongruturur and Tyril. This area is also home to the Slaettaratindur mountain, the highest point in the Faroes at 880 meters.

The main sites of interest in Eysturoy are :

• the natural harbor of Gjogv, at the northernmost tip of Eysturoy
• Eidiskollur, a 70-metre-high viewpoint overlooking the vertical rocks of Risin and Kellingin (meaning the Giant and his Wife)
• the Eysturoy Tunnel, to the south, featuring an illuminated traffic circle with routes to three other island territories

Accommodation in Eysturoy consists mainly of hotels and houses.

Stay in Klaksvik, the most authentic of the region

Klaksvik is the second-largest town on the Faroe Islands, located on the island of Bordoy in the northeast of the archipelago. Its natural setting makes it and its surroundings well worth a visit. The fishing port of Klaksvik is bordered by the impressive mountain slopes of the neighboring island territory of Kunoy.

In this area, you can also see theChristianskirkjan church, a stone edifice with an inverted boat as its roof. If you're keen on hiking, Klakkur, to the north-west of Klaksvik, offers magnificent views over 4 areas of the northern Faroes.

Although the town has a number of shops and restaurants, the supply of accommodation in Klaksvik in particular, and Bordoy in general, is very limited. It is therefore advisable to visit Klaksvik and the surrounding area in the same day, while choosing accommodation in another part of the Faroes. You can also reach other places by taking a ferry from the port of Klaksvik.

Accommodation in Sandoy and Suduroy, in the southernmost part of the town

Sandoy and Suduroy are the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. Visiting these two islands is interesting for the scenery and the small number of tourists who visit them.

Sandoy is reached by boat from the port of Gamlaraett, south of Streymoy. You then arrive at the port of Skopun, north of Sandoy. The journey takes 30 minutes. Once in Sandoy, you can take the Soltuvik hike, which offers a beautiful view of the southern Faroe Islands.

To reach Suduroy, you'll need to take a ferry from Torshavn. The journey takes 2 hours. Larger than Sandoy, Suduroy offers more to see. You can enjoy panoramic views from the Hvannhagi cliff. You can also take a stroll along Sandvik's black beach.

The sites of interest in Sandvik and Suduroy are far fewer than in the North Faroes. What's more, there are very few places to stay on either territory. Visits are therefore best made over a day for Suduroy and half a day for Sandoy.