What to see on the island of Vágar? The magical island of Vágar is essentially the gateway to the Faroe Islands, as the airport is situated here. There are direct flights from Copenhagen and Edinburgh as well as a handful of other European cities. (Read my post on how to travel to the Faroe Islands here). The Faroe Islands are made up of 18 major islands (and hundreds more smaller ones), so it can be daunting to know where to start exploring! However, there is enough on the airport island of Vágar to keep you busy for at least a couple of days! See below for some ideas of what you can find on Vágar:
Múlafossur waterfall
An absolute must-see on Vágar is the Múlafossur waterfall at Gásadalur. There’s a viewing platform there where you can stand on the cliff opposite the waterfall and watch the waters crashing down over the cliffs straight into the sea. It’s so incredibly beautiful that it’s impossible to take a bad photo, and luckily as the Faroe Islands are so quiet and devoid of people it’s easy to get a good view. Múlafossur waterfall can be reached by car or by hiking the old postman’s trail over the cliffs from Sørvágur (more detail further down).
The Old Postman’s Trail
If you enjoy walking, then why not hike the old postman’s trail to Gásadalur to see the Múlafossur waterfall (above)? The traditional route starts in Bøur, but I took the bus from Sandavágur (via the airport) to Sørvágur, and then walked from there (this adds about 4km to the walk), which affords you lovely views of the Sørvágsfjørður fjord and the distinctive Tindhólmur islet.
Once you get to Bøur, the track over the hill starts just before you get to the tunnel. The trail is well marked out and leads you up over the cliffs. It’s a steep climb but well worth it for the magnificent views over the surrounding islands. Just think – the postman used to do this walk everyday to get the post to Gásadalur! He must have had thighs of steel! Once over the cliff, a steep descent will take you down to Gásadalur, with wonderful clear views of the Múlafossur waterfall.
Sandavágur
This pretty little village is straight out of a fairytale, with its distinctive red-roofed wooden church (Sandavágs Kirkja) and colourful houses. Sandavágur means “sandy bay” and is a lovely place to wander around and snap some Pinterest-worthy photos.
Trøllkonufingur
This impressive sea stack gets its name, Trøllkonufingur, which is loosely translated as “witch’s finger”, from an old Faroese legend, which tells of a witch who tried to throw the Faroe Islands to Iceland. Unfortunately for the witch, when the sun came up she was turned to stone and fell into the sea. You can hike to the viewpoint from the centre of Sandavágur, making it possible to visit in the morning before an afternoon flight.
Sørvágsvatn/Leitisvatn: The Optical Illusion Lake
The Sørvágsvatn/Leitisvatn Lake is one of the most incredible natural phenomena that the Faroe Islands have to offer: the sight of the lake appearing to almost spill over into the sea will make your jaw drop. You will need to pay a conservation fee to access the track that leads out to the cliffs where you can get the best view of the lake, but it is well worth it. From here you can also see the Bøsdalafossur waterfall, which tumbles directly into the Atlantic Ocean.
Hopefully this post has helped you decide what to see on the island of Vágar.
Read more Faroe Islands posts here.
Official Faroe Islands tourism site here.
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