Eysturoy
Giants, Peaks, and a Roundabout Under the Ocean
Eysturoy, we find, tells two kinds of story at once. The ancient one stands off the north coast, where a giant and a witch who tried to tow the islands to Iceland were caught by sunrise and turned to stone. The modern one hums beneath the fjord, where the world’s first undersea roundabout glows at the heart of a tunnel that put the island 16 minutes from the capital. In between rise the highest peaks in the country, the gorge-side village of Gjógv, and a summer music festival held on the beach. It is the Faroes at their most varied, where a work of art passes under your wheels and a legend waits at the next headland.
Come and Discover Eysturoy
Impressions of Eysturoy
What to See and Do on Eysturoy
Our top 5 reasons to visit this region
The Village in the Gorge
Explore Gjógv, a village named after the sea gorge that splits it, where boats were once winched up a natural cleft and children still race paper boats down the stream. It is one of the most peaceful places to spend a slow morning.
All Eighteen Islands at Once
Climb Slættaratindur, the highest peak in the Faroes at 880 meters (2,887 feet), which reveals all 18 islands on a clear day and draws locals up at midsummer to sing in the near-endless light. A stiff walk, not a technical climb.
A Giant and His Wife, Turned to Stone
Stop at the viewpoint near Eiði to see Risin and Kellingin, the 71-meter and 68-meter (233-foot and 223-foot) sea stacks just offshore: a giant and his wife caught by sunrise while trying to tow the islands to Iceland, or two very tall rocks, depending on how you feel about legends.
Music in the Surf
Time a July visit to the G! Festival at Syðrugøta, where concerts happen on the beach, in the surf, and occasionally in a hot tub, all inside a village a few hundred strong. There is no more Faroese way to hear music.
The Best-Placed Bench in the Atlantic
Walk to Mary’s Bench above Gjógv, named for the Australian-born Crown Princess of Denmark who sat there in 2005. It looks straight down the gorge and out to the northern islands.
"The drive alone to Gjógv is worth it, with amazing views on this beautiful road. Park at the top of the village and follow the river through town down to the sea. Make sure you wave at the local sheep, who might wander along with you, in and out of gardens as they please!"
Anna Sólrún Bates
Itineraries for Inspiration
Eysturoy is made for a leisurely northern loop, and the tunnels have made it effortless to include. Our itinerary inspirations below can circle the island's mountainous north from a Tórshavn or Runavík base, pair it with the Northern Islands next door, and always leave time for one unplanned stop, because Eysturoy specializes in those.
Multi Day Tour to the Valley
Tórshavn and the Green Beyond
Island by Island
What our travelers find useful
Tune to 97.0 FM in the Tunnel
The Eysturoy tunnel broadcasts music composed specifically for the crossing, so eight minutes underwater becomes a small concert. Turn the radio on before you enter and let the tunnel play you its song rather than driving it in silence.
Summiting Slættaratindur
The standard route starts at the Eiðisskarð pass and takes about two hours up and down. The summit is wrapped in fog more often than not, so check the forecast that morning; if the top is hidden, save it for another day rather than climbing into gray for no view.
Binoculars at the Viewpoint
The viewpoint near Eiði has public binoculars aimed straight at Risin and Kellingin, which give you the easiest close-up of the famous pair. Worth the short stop even if you have already seen them from the road.
Fuel on the Fjord Side
Stations cluster around Runavík and Leirvík, and the scenic north has none at all, so top up before you head for Gjógv. Running low in the mountainous north is an easy mistake to make and an awkward one to fix.
A Faroese Evening in Gjógv
The guesthouse in the village hosts regular Faroese evenings with traditional food, live music, and chain dancing, and it is the most straightforward way to see the dance done properly rather than as a performance. Ask locally about which nights it runs, as the schedule shifts with the season.
The Faroe Islands stories to inform & inspire
Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland: Which One Is Right for You?
A Faroe Islands Honeymoon: Where Almost No One Else Goes
Reasons to Visit Greenland, and Why It’s Not a Side Trip from Iceland
Discover More of The Faroe Islands
Streymoy & Tórshavn
Streymoy and Tórshavn hold the pocket-sized capital and its home island, from the ancient parliament headland of Tinganes to the bird cliffs of Vestmanna and the tidal lagoon at Saksun.
Vágar
Vágar greets most arrivals first, and it wastes no time: the island holds the country's only airport, the boat out to puffin-covered Mykines, and a coastline of sea stacks and clifftop villages within minutes of the runway.
The Northern Islands
The Northern Islands are the Faroes at their most vertical: Kalsoy's film-famous lighthouse, the seal-woman statue at Mikladalur, Klaksvík's working harbor, and Europe's great northern cliff at Enniberg.
The Southern Islands (Sandoy and Suduroy)
The Southern Islands, Sandoy and Suðuroy, are the archipelago's calmer half, reached by the newest tunnel and the best-loved ferry, with dunes, poets' cliffs, and the church that keeps the original Faroese flag.