Breathtaking views and few tourists

My trip to the Faroe Islands changed my life. I can't wait to return. 

I rented a car and highly suggest that you do too if you want to see as much of the islands as possible. I did meet another solo traveler who mostly traveled by bus (and then hitchhiked with me!), but she wasn't as flexible as I was with the car. 

You will not be able to travel to all of the islands if you go in March, because some of the transportation between islands will not be in service or will be very infrequent. It's still going to be beautiful no matter what! 

Bring warm and waterproof clothing, and be ready for wind! In the Faroe Islands, you can experience all four seasons in one day. 

I don't talk a lot about food in this itinerary. I mostly buy snacks and small sandwiches from grocery stores when I solo travel. Especially when I travel to a notoriously expensive destination. This is a great way to save. 

But you might want to splurge, and if you do, there is one restaurant in the Faroe Islands that gets LOTS of publicity from being so amazing. Next time I go, I'll definitely be stopping there: https://koks.fo/

Day 1 -- you'll probably arrive in the evening from Iceland or from Denmark, that's what I did. I stayed at one of the two main hotels right near the airport in Sorvagur.  The Hotel Vagar was basic and a great place to stay within walking distance of the airport (car rental agencies) and a solid base for my first few days. The first night I walked around town to get a feel for where things were -- the local cafe, soccer field, grocery store -- and then I came back to my hotel to have dinner and rest for my long days to come. 

Day 2 -- to save money, I didn't pick up my rental car until the morning of Day 2. They told me "hey, your keys will be in the glove compartment" and this should have shown me right then just how trusting, kind, and hospitable everyone I would meet was going to be. In the US, you have to pay before pumping gas. It blew my mind on the last day that I pumped gas and THEN went inside and paid. The cashier, when I expressed my disbelief about this process, said something like "well, where are you going to go and how far would you get?" She's right. 

I put on my waterproof winter boots and headed out to Gasaladur to see the waterfall. The drive was beautiful and short from the hotel. The winds were fierce though! Depending on the time and the weather, you might want to go back here a few times during your trip! Mulafossur looked much different on day 2 than on my friend's (a fellow solo traveler!) picture a few days later. There are some hikes to do in the area that I just kind of happened upon. I think with some advanced planning you could do a better job than I did. Due to the weather, some of the hikes by Mulafossur were closed. There was a little bathroom by the parking lot of this waterfall, which was great because it also had a hand dryer -- allowing me to dry my pants too! There was a lot of rain that day, and every day, in the Faroe Islands in the spring.  

Tonight I spent the night in Torshavn and made that my base for the next two days. I stayed in a very small hotel that I wouldn't recommend because it was small and a bit of a walk from the city center, but there are LOTS of options in town! 

Day 3 -- everything in the Faroe Islands is pretty close, but it takes so long to get to because 1) the weather 2) maybe some sheep are on the road and 3) you're going to want to stop every 5 minutes to take pictures of the amazing scenery. It really is breathtaking. 

Today I headed to Saksun on the island of Streymoy. The drive to this place was insane! There was water on one side and a big ditch on the other side of the road. The road was a bit bigger than one lane, but buses still come barrelling down it! What an experience. Saksun is a place that has a church with grass on the roof, and a few other buildings around as well. It's just beautiful for a quick stop or if you have time and want to hike, even better!  I found a small waterfall and a trail among the sheep. 

The I headed to Eidi in Eysturoy where, you guessed it, I walked around to look at the scenery! There was a grocery store in this area so I got some dried meat and crackers before exploring and taking pictures with my new friend, the other solo traveler. 

On my way back I stopped in the town of Gjogv -- yep, still can't pronounce that right. You'll probably say it wrong too, so maybe spell it out for someone if you have a question! I heard at night the dock area lights up and it's a beautiful sight, but I wasn't able to check that out when I was there.  

They say "don't go chasing waterfalls" but that doesn't apply to the Faroe Islands. Everywhere you go you'll see one, and every time I saw one I stopped to get a closer look. 

Day 4 - exploring the city of Torshavn! It doesn't take long to walk around town, but everything is so beautiful that you might as well. I found a place for fish and chips and ate most of it on a bench while the rain took a break. The docks were beautiful -- seeing all the boats and the red buildings were a change from the green and black houses I'd seen most of my trip. There are cute cafes in the city center. Great places to take a break and send some postcards. 

Day 5 -  this was the day I had to leave, but not until 4pm. As I left Esturoy for Sorvagur again, I came upon the most amazing thing I've ever seen in my life. Sorvagsvatn. It was supposed to be a lake that appears to be floating on a mountain top. It was so much more. I hiked for 5 miles that day and I sat on the side of that mountain smiling for at least an hour. This was the second time I saw other tourists. The Faroe Islands are relatively unknown, and people think it's hard to get there so they have yet to be ruined by too many tourists. It's the best time to go, respecting the islands of course. Spend your whole day at Sorvagsvatn. You won't be disappointed.