Vágar and Mykines are the two western islands of the Faroes.
Vágar hosts the modern international airport, which is situated on
a level plain outside Sørvágur.
Upon arrival, the airline passenger is offered a spectacular
introduction to the beauty of the Faroes, especially when
landing from the west and the plane slips past the rugged splendour of
Mykines, then alongside the towering basalt sea stacks at the
entrance to Sørvágsfjørður, then over the picturesque village of
Sørvágur and onto the runway.
There are few airports in the world which offer such impressive vistas
to the arriving visitor. These panoramas, however, provide only a
hint of what visitors will soon discover on their exploration of these
western isles.
The tunnel under the Vestmanna Sound (4,900 metres) is of major
importance for tourism as well as for everyday life in Vágar. At
present it is possible to live in Vágar and benefit from all the
possibilities and options on the islands that are now connected:
Vágar, Stremoy, Eysturoy and Norðoyggjar. Even if you do not live on
Vágar, the options of the islands are that much closer and you are not
dependent upon the clock. It is possible to drive to the picturesque
village of Gásadalur now that the tunnel is open. The film ‘1700 metres
from the future’ about the lack of a road connection made Gásadalur and
the post route over the mountain world famous, but now the future looks
bright for the survival of the village.
Mykines is the perfect haven for solitary retreat. The home of
thousands upon thousands of migratory seabirds during the summer
months, Mykines is considered to be the mysterious “paradise of
birds” that the adventurous seafaring Irish monk, St. Brendan,
described in the middle of the sixth century.
The foremost resident of Mykines in the summer is the puffin. This
intriguing little creature is one of the main attractions for visitors.
Its brightly coloured bill and its willingness to remain posed with
fish in its beak, makes the puffin the ideal photo opportunity for any
budding ornithologist.
Yet it is the splendid hiking that makes Mykines the destination of
choice for many visitors. Because of the quick changes in the weather,
the visitor is advised to visit Mykines whenever favourable weather
is predicted.
Most people opt for spending several days on Mykines for there is too
much to see in just one day. Apart from the excursion to the stone
forest in the valley Korkadalur, the towering summit of 560 metre
Knúkur awaits the hiker. It is only some three kilometres away from
the village, but the climb can be difficult. Less strenuous is the
delightful trek out to Mykineshólmur, a small islet on the western
side of Mykines. Guided tours can be arranged from the guesthouse. A
footbridge connects Mykineshólmur with the island of Mykines over a
35-metre deep gorge. The sea stacks surrounding the lighthouse at the
far end of the cape are a sight of striking beauty.
The most singular experience on Mykineshólmur, however, is the colony
of gannets. These majestic birds have chosen this western outpost of
the Faroes for their home, the only one in the islands, and from a long
distance you can see the birds sitting on top of the stacks with their
young ones.
Vágar, or the bays, has its name from the three bays of Sandavágur,
Miðvágur, and Sørvágur with their villages of the same names.
Sandavágur, voted the most well-kept village in the Faroes, has an
ancient history. A stone has been found covered with thirteenth
century runes indicating that the Viking, Torkil Onundarson, was the
first to settle in Sandavágur. The rune stone is on display in the
picturesque village church. Á Steig in Sandavágur was the residence
of the Lagman, the chief judge and leader of the Faroese parliament.
Here V. U. Hammershaimb, the founder of the written Faroese language,
was born in 1816.
On the hillside overlooking Miðvágur is the museum of Kálvalíð,
one of the oldest buildings in the Faroes and once the home of Beinte
Christine Broberg, wife of the priest of Vágur. She was the inspiration
for Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen’s novel, Barbara, which was recently made
into a film.
Kálvalíð is built into the hillside with only one window facing the
bay below. From afar the house blends into the landscape because the
roof is covered in turf and the front of the house and the side to the
north are built with large stones taken from the fields around the old
farmstead. It has only two rooms and a cowshed, an example of the old
Faroese building tradition.
Many people seek out the mysterious Fjallavatn, or mountain lake, in
the roadless northern half of the island. The beautiful scenery
surrounding the lake provides a pleasant interlude on the long hike
to the abandoned village of Slættanes, which many consider to be the
ultimate hideaway.
Another hike that is highly recommended is the easy walk along
Sørvágsvatn, the largest lake in the Faroes, to the enchanting
cascade called Bøssdalsfossur that falls from the lake into the
ocean. An easier way to come to this special place is to take a
comfortable return trip across the lake with the boat called ‘Lakeside’.
Even though it is now possible to drive to the village of Gásadalur, you can still hike the old post route over the mountain.
The hike that may be strenuous, especially the climb up from
Gásadalur, begins from the tiny village of Bøur and rises up the
mountain fairly quickly, but the view from the crest is spectacular
and worth all the effort. Bøur and Gásadalur offer to the visitor the
spectacular view towards the islets and stacks off the coast,
Tindhólmur with its five castle-like peaks, the flat Gáshólmur and
Drangarnir, the two stacks, one of which has the form of an open arch.