A Wednesday excursion with MMTours will take you on an adventure through out the Northern Islands of Streymoy, Eysturoy, Borđoy, Kalsoy, Viđoy and Kunoy while stopping in towns such as Klaksvík, Viðareiði and Kunoy. MMTours makes it really easy on their guests by picking them up at their hotel. If the hotel is out of the way, a very close destination will be provided as a meeting point. The full day tour is about 12 hours in length.
The tour begins with a ride out of the capital, Tórshavn, while listening to the voice of your guide. On Wednesdays, your guide will most likely be Jógvan Thomsen, but I had Olí Breckmann on this particular day. Olí is a very popular and beloved ex Faroese politician. He is an incredibly intelligent man whom uses his charming and witty sense of humor through out the day. While some may not take his jokes in the correct manner, it is all good fun. He is a perfect example of the Faroese people, loving and humorous, always having a good laugh.
The first half of the tour takes you winding through fjords with gorgeous views. MMTours makes sure to stop multiple times for you to get out, stretch your legs, enjoy the scenery and take some photos.
One of the unique things you will find while riding through out the islands is the amount of tunnels that have been built to connect villages and other islands to one another. On this trip you will go through many tunnels, even one that goes under the sea.
The first village stop will be in Viðareiði, the Northern most village in the Faroe Islands. This town is gorgeous and full of those picturesque turf covered houses. It sits along the water and has a nice beach, but not a good place for swimming. The water is freezing cold and the town itself is a wind tunnel.
The winds coming off the Atlantic in this town were at the highest speeds I had seen in my time amongst the Faroes. The Viðareiði Kirkja church stands beautifully along the water with a back drop of oceans and mountains. The town is very chilly, but an enjoyable and beautiful stop.
The next town you visit will be Kunoy. Much more sheltered between mountains in a fjord than Viðareiði, this small town is very quiet and relaxing. This is where you will eat your packed lunch. The lunch is either a smoked salmon or chicken sandwich. I ate the smoked salmon everyday and can admit that I never became tired of it. How can you go wrong eating smoked salmon in the Faroes surrounded by the views?
In this specific spot, you are blessed with the sound of waterfalls trickling down the mountain side from different angles as well as a view into the opposing island, Kalsoy.
After finishing lunch, you will be on your way to the second biggest town in the Faroes, Klaksvik. Coming in with a population of just over 4,500, this town is huge in comparison to the rest of the towns you have visited and driven past through out the day. You have some free time to walk around the popular fishing harbor before boarding a ferry to Kalsoy. Klaksvik is a very valuable harbor for the fishing industry as it allows entrances to the water from both the North and the South.
The ferry to Kalsoy takes about 20 minutes and on a calm day is a very relaxing ride. Once in Kalsoy, you have the choice. Hike to the Kallur Lighthouse or stay with the majority of the group to visit the famous Seal Woman Statue in Mikladalur. As the Seal Woman story is very important to Faroese culture, your better option is paying the extra fee and making your way out to the lighthouse. Here is a link to the full story if you are interested: http://landoflegendslv.com/03ports/mystsofavalon/13Mermaids/mermaidsA004.html
You can ask anyone in the Faroe Islands to tell you the legend of the Seal Woman while you will not again have the chance to take in the dramatic scenery that the Kallur Light has to offer. The hike itself is short and not very difficult. There are some up and down hill stretches, but the entire hike is only about 2 miles round trip. The strong winds are more of an issue than the actual path.
After making the right decision to take on the hike, you will be on your way to the very tiny village of Trøllanes. Here you will be introduced to your local guide, Jóhannus Kallsgarð. Jóhannus is a local farmer in the town of just 13 people amongst 3 families. Jóhannus stays with the group the entire way out to the lighthouse, stopping at various points to provide some unique facts and stories about the area. One of the more memorable stories is of a peat house built in 1944 by his great grandfather. It was built to serve as a drive through. He stated that it was the only peat house ever built in this manner. If they turned the peat into some peated bourbon whiskey, there would be drive throughs all over the U.S. Maybe Jóhannus should take his great grandfathers unique idea to the next level 😉
Once over the first ridge, you have a great view into the village of Trøllanes, the surrounding ocean, cliffs and the Kallur Lighthouse in the distance. The path winds through grass fields scattered with sheep, leading directly to the top of a hill where the lighthouse rests.
Once at the lighthouse, if you are daring enough, walk out to the hill that sits behind it. The path is very thin, and it is best to not look down. One big gust of wind or a mis step could have you tumbling down into the ocean below. Unless you don’t have a fear of heights and are athletic, I would not recommend taking this path. However, if you are an avid hiker and want to see one of the best views in the Faroes, follow the trail.
From this spot, you will have the best view imaginable looking back into the lighthouse and the mountains, cliffs and ocean that surrounds it.
After enjoying the views, you will walk back into town with Jóhannus and the rest of the group. Jóhannus is very open to questions and easy to talk with along the hike. He told me some stories about the small village and stated that he has to climb the mountains and cliffs around the village a few times a year to herd and cut the sheep’s wool. Imagine climbing up a cliff to find a sheep for a hair cut, only later to eat it. The Faroese are a strong group of people.
Once back in Trøllanes, you will be picked up and head back to the ferry. After a short journey back to Klaksvik, the bus is waiting to make your way back to Tórshavn. Although you will probably be quite exhausted at this point, you are greeted with one of the best things that MMTours provides, some local beer.
Black Sheep is my favorite, but Slupp is delicious as well. The what I like to call, “celebration beer” is a great touch that not enough tour groups provide. It only adds some light and happiness to a tour and is always very refreshing after a hike.
The day concludes with another ride through the amazing landscape of the Faroes with more commentary provided by Olí or another guide based on availability. Make sure to ask as many questions about Faroese culture as you’d like. These guys are always ready and willing to answer. MMTours will drop you off in the same place you started. Don’t forget to book your tour for the next day if you didn’t get the package deal! The Vestmanna Birdcliffs Thursday Excursion is one you cannot miss!
If the pictures didn’t do enough for you, take a look at our video of The North
To book your tour to The Northern Isles, follow the link below
https://www.mmtours.fo/product/northern-islands/
For more photos of a trip to the Faroe Islands, check out my photo gallery!
https://ryantinglephotography.pixieset.com/faroeislands/
As always, make sure to comment below with any questions you may have. Don’t forget to subscribe and follow us on Instagram @travelingle or @egtrotters for more daily travel inspiration!
