Spectacular doesn’t begin to describe the Faroe Islands.

In the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, tiny islands with jagged peaks and vertiginous cliff faces jut out from the sea, piercing into the sky like giant daggers. Sea stacks, craggy bird cliffs and black sandy beaches dot the coast, while steep snowcapped mountains stretch across the length of the islands.

This archipelago of 18 islands lies in the intersection point of three popular destinations: Iceland, Scotland and Norway. Just like its neighbors, the Faroe Islands has it all: the Northern Lights, world-class hiking trails, an abundance of nature, wildlife and Scandinavian traditions; but few people know about them, and the Faroese prefer to keep it that way.

I have a special love affair with the Nordic region;  Iceland, Sweden, Finland and the Norwegian Arctic are some of my favorite places of the world — and now I’ve just added the Faroe Islands to the list.

What makes the Faroe Islands special is that it’s so rugged, wild and small that it truly feels like you’re in the middle of the ocean here. No matter where you go on the Faroe Islands, you are never more than 5 km from the coast. The country is largely covered by wilderness; even in the cities, you can just head out for a hike right from the urban center. There are more sheeps here than people — with over 70,000 sheeps vs 50,000 people on the Faroes.

What makes the Faroe Islands special is that it’s so rugged, wild and small that it truly feels like you’re in the middle of the ocean here. No matter where you go on the Faroe Islands, you are never more than 5 km from the coast.

The Faroes may be a part of the Kingdom of Denmark (just like Greenland is), but they have a cultural identity of their own and they are extremely proud of it — they have been self-governing since 1948, they have their own language (that is closer to Icelandic than Danish), traditions and customs. Ask any Faroese about their identity and most would reply, “We are not Danes — we are Faroese.”

My trip to the Faroe Islands last week was perfect in every sense of the word: In just four days, I went on short hikes on remote islands, weaved my way around dramatic landscapes by car, saw hundreds of sea birds including puffins (!!!) who weren’t afraid to get close, and cruised on the choppy waters right alongside sheer sea cliffs.  It was surprisingly easy to travel to the Faroe Islands on a long weekend, with flights from Copenhagen to Faroes taking just under 1.5hours, and interesting sights all within short driving distances. 

If you’re still not convinced that the Faroe Islands are worth a visit, then I’m sure these Faroe Islands photos will.

An aerial view of the Faroe Islands as we made our descent onto Vagar.

The iconic image of the Gásadalur waterfall and village backed by a mountain. This tiny village of 16 people was only made accessible by car in 2004 with the construction of a tunnel.

Mykines, the westernmost island in the Faroes, is the highlight of my trip.

One careless step and you might fall!

Mykines is home to the largest puffin colony on the Faroe Islands.

Puffins are protected here in the Faroes so thankfully eating them is not allowed!

There were over hundreds of them chilling by their nests on a steep slope.

Mykines is also the only place on the Faroes where you can find gannets, the biggest sea bird in the region with a wing span of around 2 meters.

In a country where the sheeps outnumber people, obviously you’ll find sheeps everywhere.

On the road to Bour and Gasadalur.

The Faroe Islands are made for road trips. I love driving around, often stopping for a view.

Highways are basically single-lane roads that zigzag into the mountains.

Torshavn is the colorful capital city of the Faroes – over 40% of the country’s population live here.

Torshavn’s harbor

The colorful Torshavn sea front was bustling with life when I arrived on Saturday noon.

The town right next to the airport, Sørvágur, is where you go to catch the ferry to Mykines.

Sørvágur harbor on a sunny, spring day.

You’ve probably seen the viral image of a lake flowing into an ocean, almost like an optical illusion? It’s actually taken right here, at Sørvágsvatn, the biggest lake on the Faroes. Sadly this is the only shot that kinda shows the optical illusion – I wish I could photoshop myself out of the image!

This is the point where the Sørvágsvatn lake flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Sandavágur town is a charming hamlet located on the shores of the second biggest lake on the Faroe Islands.

Tjørnuvík is most famous for its big waves that are great for surfing.

On the way to Saksun, I couldn’t help stopping the car every 5 minutes to capture views like this.

Landscapes like this remind me of Iceland — without ANY tourist.

Overlooking Trøllanes, where the highway ends on the island of Kalsoy.

The hike to the northernmost tip of Kalsoy is one of my favorite hikes in the Faroes.

You’ll find a church in almost every village on the Faroes.

Cruising along the Vestmanna sea cliffs, you get so close to the coast you can smell the guillemots’ guano and feel the water spray on your face.

The Atlantic Ocean crashing against the harbor at the idyllic summer village of Gjogv.

Waking up to this view from my room at the charming Hotel Gjáargarður in Gjogv.

Getting to Gjogv isn’t easy — you’ll need to manoeuvre a few sharp hairpin bends and steep mountain slopes to get here.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Visit Faroe Islands for assisting me with this trip! As always, my opinions expressed above are my own. 

The post The Secret Isles of the Atlantic — The Faroe Islands in Photos appeared first on Wild Junket.