“Are we almost there yet?” I shout to my partner as I fall behind, dragging my feet to what I can only hope is the end of the trail. Admittedly, my cadence resembles that of a temperamental toddler, but I’ve always hated hiking, whether I’m in the forests of Sri Lanka or the coast of Australia.
But when I’m in the Faroe Islands, I can’t wait to lace up my hiking shoes and set off.
Situated between Iceland and Norway, north of Scotland, the scenery in this small group of 18 islands rivals anything an AI bot can create. A fairytale landscape scattered with waterfalls, sheep and fjords, it’s home to the world’s greatest hikes.
“Hiking here is so unique because of the views and the varied landscapes within such short distances. You see waterfalls, rivers and the ocean on almost all hikes and even majestic sea cliffs,” says Oda W. Andreasen, owner of GoLocal. “In summer, the outfields are very green, and the water is so pure that you can drink it from the river or spring water you find on your hike. Also, there are no trees in the Faroes, so you see the views all the way up to the mountaintops.”
A Life-Changing Hike
I first met Oda on the island of Mykines, where she was living for the summer, welcoming travelers into her tiny village home via her local travel company, GoLocal. One of the country’s most visited tourist islands, Mykines is actually home to the country’s largest population of puffins.
After a dinner of fermented lamb, potatoes, and salad, Andreasen leads us past a flock of clucking chickens and behind the colorful turf roof houses. She tells us this trail is longer, but it doesn’t stomp over the bird’s nests like the typical tourist track does, destroying future generations of puffins. We step over sheep poo while Andreasen collects stray wool that has fallen off the lambs, “The wool can get caught in the bird’s feet,” she informs us.
As I huff and puff to the top, my eyes move from watching the dirt on my shoes to thousands of birds flying around a 400-foot cliff. Powerful, deep blue waves pound the volcanic stone below while cartoon-cute puffins nest in the grassy knolls at the cliff’s edge. Breathing in the salty sea air while sipping hot chocolate as the sun set over the horizon — that was the moment I fell in love with hiking in the Faroes.
A True Hiker
Since then, my partner and I have conquered over a dozen of the country’s 52 hiking trails and 13 walking trails during our yearly visits. My favorite is a four-mile hike from the beach village of Tjornuvik to Saksun; it offers some of the most dramatic views over the island’s most picturesque villages. We’ve also hiked to Trælanípa Cliff, known as Slave Cliff or the Lake Above The Ocean.
Arguably, the country’s most popular route, thanks to Instagram, it’s also the most expensive. Local farmers charge tourists roughly $28 per person to pass through their land and traverse the trail. And if we’re looking for an easier hike, the trail from the capital city of Torshavn to Kirkjubøur offers a bit of history via its ancient rock remnants.
Local hiking guide Gunnvá Zachariasen also loves walking the route to Kirkjubøur with her young son. Zachariasen has climbed all of the country’s 340 registered summits. Through Guide to Faroe Islands, she leads nature-happy travelers on the best hikes in the country, including her other personal favorites, the Líraberg Cliff on Sandoy Island, The Postman Trail to Múlafossur Waterfall and the hike to Nólsoy Lighthouse on the island of Nolsoy.
While she says you can’t conquer all of the Faroes peaks in one summer, it typically takes two to three years of regular hikes, with the record being just six months. Although not a goal on my bucket list, during my visits, I cross a few trails off my list, opting for the ones with the most striking views — and usually with a Faroese friend or guide.
Both Andreason and Zachariasen recommend hiring a local hiking guide to take you to the less-hiked trails and help you navigate the changing terrain, farmer’s land rules, local wildlife, and weather. In a country where you can experience four seasons in one hour, the meteorologist report may be the most crucial part of hiking in the Faroe Islands.
“The weather is always the main actor here — hence the nickname “The Land of Maybe.” It can change rapidly from clear sky to fog all around you in minutes,” Zachairasen says, “Never go alone out in the outfield; always check the weather forecast before you go, ask the locals, will it be foggy? Windy? Will it rain? Take your common sense with you and respect that some days, it just isn’t the weather for a hike.”
The post I Hate Hiking — This Remote European Country Changed That first appeared on Travelbinger.