I'll start off by saying I'm fairly new to the RVF forum and I've
never written a data sheet before and it's long overdue. In December
2018/January 2019 I took a little 3 week vacation to Europe and the
Faroe Islands was my first stop. It was only a 2 day stay so I'm by no
means a guru, but there's minimal to no data on the Faroes here and I
want to give you gents a little info on it....
Overview
From Wikipedia : The Faroe Islands are a North Atlantic archipelago
located 200 miles (320 km) north-northwest of the United Kingdom and
about halfway between Norway and Iceland—are an autonomous country of
the Kingdom of Denmark. Total area is about 1,400 square kilometres
(540 sq mi) with a population of 50,322 in 2017. The terrain is
rugged; the climate is subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc)—windy, wet,
cloudy, and cool. Temperatures average above freezing throughout the
year because of the Gulf Stream. It consists of 18 islands. For
currency, they use the Faroese króna, which is a version of the Danish
krone. So you'll be fine here with Danish money and they'll likely
give you some Faroese notes and coins as change.
Accomodation
There only seem to be about a half-dozen to a dozen hotels here. The
majority are located in an around the capital, Tórshavn. Airbnb is
100% the way to go and it will put you in some incredible and remote
villages. There also seems to be more options on Airbnb as I imagine
the lack of hotels have locals renting out their homes or rooms for
tourists. Economic opportunity on the islands seems tiny and I imagine
it to be a decent money maker for those who choose to rent out their
homes or rooms.
I stayed in the second-most northern village on the main island of
Streymoy. The name of the village is Haldórsvik. It's quiet and
beautiful with a giant waterfall running through the edge of the
village. According to wikipedia the population is 173, but feels more
like 100. There's a church (only octagonal church in the Faroes),
graveyard, and views across the water at the second-biggest island,
Eysturoy. The house I stayed in was made mostly of wood and tiny, of
typical Faroese architecture. A lot of the houses in the Faroes have
sod/turf roofs, which is also typical Faroese. Price was around 130
USD a night, which is about middle of the road for Airbnb on the
Faroes it seems.
Getting around
RENT A CAR!!! Once again, RENT A CAR!!! I did, and it's the only way
to go. They have ferry and helicopter service to and from the 18
islands in the archipelago, but you can't beat having your own wheels
and coming and going as you please. I rented from 62N, which seems to
be the top line company to rent from. Bit pricey for 2 days (around
400 USD) all said and done with insurance and pre-paid tolls. I
recommend having the tolls included in your rental. If not, you have
to pay cash at the next service station when you go through one of the
many tunnels. They do have public bus service, however it doesn't seem
to run often. (doesn't run on Sundays either). If you are in one of
the smaller villages, you'd be foolish not to have a rental. Drive
slow in the villages and around the sharp turns up in the
hills/mountains. Some of the roads don't have guardrails, so just keep
alert or you can easily drive off the side of a cliff.
Weather
Predictably, unpredictable. Sunshine one minute, black clouds the
next. Drizzle, followed by downpours. Then, sunny again. But wait,
more clouds and now fog. One thing you can count on no matter what,
WIND. Never been to a windier place in my life. Was there 2 days after
Christmas so it was closer in date to the Winter solstice and it's
only light out between 9 am and 3 pm. That's if it's sunny. By 330 pm
its dark. This however does change with the months. Summer time they
have 20+ hours of light at times. You can see the Northern Lights
here, but unfortunately I didn't. Pack a waterproof jacket and a
sweater/fleece for sure.
What to do/Nightlife
If you are into nature, hiking, or are just an outdoorsy person in
general, you will not be disapointed. There's hikes all over the
islands, either on your own or with tour groups. I didn't get to go
due to bad weather and darkness, but would have loved to. There's
endless wildlife such as whales, puffins, and oh yea, a ton of sheep!
There are sheep all over the Faroe Islands. Supposedly they outnumber
the people. Be careful when driving as it's not uncommon, day or night
to have a few of them lying in the middle of the road. I almost plowed
into two in thick fog on the way to the airport. This is more common
in the villages than away from the bigger "cities". I drove up to the
northern-most village on the island of Streymoy, which is called
Tjørnuvík. Only has around 70 people and it's nestled in a fjord and
has a little beach. Absolutely gorgeous place. Unreal views of the
village as you are coming down the road into it, and great view
looking out to the bay while in the village. Popular destination as
well with tourists, so expect to see other cars parked by the beach
and people walking around taking photos. There's a viking graveyard
there too, which is pretty cool. I went down to the capital of
Tórshavn two days in a row and its about the size of a postage stamp.
Not much going on in terms of nightlife, women, you name it, it was
desolate. There were a few bars, with about 5 to 10 total people in
them. So from what I saw, nightlife is probably a dud there,
especially if you are coming from or expecting something good. I don't
have a large sample size, just going off of my observations. Could've
been the time of year (two days after Christmas), but there's only
around 20,000 people there so I really didn't expect much different
than what I saw to be honest. As a soccer/football player, I went to
check out the national stadium which is called Tórsvøllur, which is
just up the road from the city centre. It's tiny, as it only holds
around 6,000, but it's very neat and tidy. There's a pretty good juice
bar in the main lobby of the stadium and they serve pretty good
sandwiches as well. I asked one of the kids working behind the counter
if I could check out the ground and he said it was no problem and If I
wanted to walk on the pitch I could as well. There was a ball in one
of the nets and I took a few penalties (3/3 heh). Might be the only
American who can say they were allowed to tool around on the pitch of
the Faroese national football team.
The people/women
Everyone's favorite part, but I have to report there just aren't that
many people here in general, let alone good looking gals. According to
wikipedia, the Faroese are a North Germanic ethnic group. The Faroese
are of mixed Norse and Gaelic origins. About 21,000 Faroese live in
neighbouring countries, particularly in Denmark, and Iceland and
Norway to a lesser extent. The Faroese language is one of the North
Germanic languages and is closely related to Icelandic and to western
Norwegian varieties. For those of you into eugenics, it states that
Recent DNA analyses have revealed that Y chromosomes, tracing male
descent, are 87% Scandinavian. The studies show that mitochondrial
DNA, tracing female descent, is 84% Celtic. I'd say that they look
classically Scandinavian with high British Isles admixture. There
seems to be a big gap in population between 18 and 35. I saw a lot of
kids and families as well as old people. My guess is a lot of the
Faroese leave for university to Denmark when they finish school and
probably relocate there as there's more opportunity and things to do.
Just an educated guess. The only 18 to 35 year old girls I pretty much
saw were working at the airport, either at duty free or check-in
counters. No joke. At the airpot before my flight back to Copenhagen I
spied a Nordic/Gaelic looking cutie pie at duty free who was giving me
heavy and intense eye contact, and we chatted briefly. She asked why I
came to the Faroes and if I liked it. She recommended some Faroese
chocolate which was pretty terrible, but I gave it a chance. Didn't
number close as I was leaving and saw no point. I would've if I
chatted to her upon my arrival and not my departure. I can imagine
logistics here are awful and you pretty much need to stay in and
around the capital. Driving 40 minutes to the village where I was
staying is not going to work and/or be conducive to lays. My only hope
would be a cutie in the village, and I only saw 1 or 2 elderly men in
2 days there. So........
Final words
The Faroes is easily one of the most isolated, beautiful and different
places i've ever been too. It's not the cheapest but not going to
break your wallet either. Staying in a little Faroese village was one
of the more off the beaten path things i've done in life. If you are a
outdoorsy person who likes nature, adventure, wildlife, and history, I
highly reccomend it. I also recommend it if you want to disconnect
from the world for a few days or maybe you want to bring a chickie
here with you and maybe smash her ragged on a hillside like a Viking
did 1,000 years ago. If you are coming just for the women, I wish you
luck.....
I will try and post the few pictures I did take in another post,
anything else feel free to ask!
never written a data sheet before and it's long overdue. In December
2018/January 2019 I took a little 3 week vacation to Europe and the
Faroe Islands was my first stop. It was only a 2 day stay so I'm by no
means a guru, but there's minimal to no data on the Faroes here and I
want to give you gents a little info on it....
Overview
From Wikipedia : The Faroe Islands are a North Atlantic archipelago
located 200 miles (320 km) north-northwest of the United Kingdom and
about halfway between Norway and Iceland—are an autonomous country of
the Kingdom of Denmark. Total area is about 1,400 square kilometres
(540 sq mi) with a population of 50,322 in 2017. The terrain is
rugged; the climate is subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc)—windy, wet,
cloudy, and cool. Temperatures average above freezing throughout the
year because of the Gulf Stream. It consists of 18 islands. For
currency, they use the Faroese króna, which is a version of the Danish
krone. So you'll be fine here with Danish money and they'll likely
give you some Faroese notes and coins as change.
Accomodation
There only seem to be about a half-dozen to a dozen hotels here. The
majority are located in an around the capital, Tórshavn. Airbnb is
100% the way to go and it will put you in some incredible and remote
villages. There also seems to be more options on Airbnb as I imagine
the lack of hotels have locals renting out their homes or rooms for
tourists. Economic opportunity on the islands seems tiny and I imagine
it to be a decent money maker for those who choose to rent out their
homes or rooms.
I stayed in the second-most northern village on the main island of
Streymoy. The name of the village is Haldórsvik. It's quiet and
beautiful with a giant waterfall running through the edge of the
village. According to wikipedia the population is 173, but feels more
like 100. There's a church (only octagonal church in the Faroes),
graveyard, and views across the water at the second-biggest island,
Eysturoy. The house I stayed in was made mostly of wood and tiny, of
typical Faroese architecture. A lot of the houses in the Faroes have
sod/turf roofs, which is also typical Faroese. Price was around 130
USD a night, which is about middle of the road for Airbnb on the
Faroes it seems.
Getting around
RENT A CAR!!! Once again, RENT A CAR!!! I did, and it's the only way
to go. They have ferry and helicopter service to and from the 18
islands in the archipelago, but you can't beat having your own wheels
and coming and going as you please. I rented from 62N, which seems to
be the top line company to rent from. Bit pricey for 2 days (around
400 USD) all said and done with insurance and pre-paid tolls. I
recommend having the tolls included in your rental. If not, you have
to pay cash at the next service station when you go through one of the
many tunnels. They do have public bus service, however it doesn't seem
to run often. (doesn't run on Sundays either). If you are in one of
the smaller villages, you'd be foolish not to have a rental. Drive
slow in the villages and around the sharp turns up in the
hills/mountains. Some of the roads don't have guardrails, so just keep
alert or you can easily drive off the side of a cliff.
Weather
Predictably, unpredictable. Sunshine one minute, black clouds the
next. Drizzle, followed by downpours. Then, sunny again. But wait,
more clouds and now fog. One thing you can count on no matter what,
WIND. Never been to a windier place in my life. Was there 2 days after
Christmas so it was closer in date to the Winter solstice and it's
only light out between 9 am and 3 pm. That's if it's sunny. By 330 pm
its dark. This however does change with the months. Summer time they
have 20+ hours of light at times. You can see the Northern Lights
here, but unfortunately I didn't. Pack a waterproof jacket and a
sweater/fleece for sure.
What to do/Nightlife
If you are into nature, hiking, or are just an outdoorsy person in
general, you will not be disapointed. There's hikes all over the
islands, either on your own or with tour groups. I didn't get to go
due to bad weather and darkness, but would have loved to. There's
endless wildlife such as whales, puffins, and oh yea, a ton of sheep!
There are sheep all over the Faroe Islands. Supposedly they outnumber
the people. Be careful when driving as it's not uncommon, day or night
to have a few of them lying in the middle of the road. I almost plowed
into two in thick fog on the way to the airport. This is more common
in the villages than away from the bigger "cities". I drove up to the
northern-most village on the island of Streymoy, which is called
Tjørnuvík. Only has around 70 people and it's nestled in a fjord and
has a little beach. Absolutely gorgeous place. Unreal views of the
village as you are coming down the road into it, and great view
looking out to the bay while in the village. Popular destination as
well with tourists, so expect to see other cars parked by the beach
and people walking around taking photos. There's a viking graveyard
there too, which is pretty cool. I went down to the capital of
Tórshavn two days in a row and its about the size of a postage stamp.
Not much going on in terms of nightlife, women, you name it, it was
desolate. There were a few bars, with about 5 to 10 total people in
them. So from what I saw, nightlife is probably a dud there,
especially if you are coming from or expecting something good. I don't
have a large sample size, just going off of my observations. Could've
been the time of year (two days after Christmas), but there's only
around 20,000 people there so I really didn't expect much different
than what I saw to be honest. As a soccer/football player, I went to
check out the national stadium which is called Tórsvøllur, which is
just up the road from the city centre. It's tiny, as it only holds
around 6,000, but it's very neat and tidy. There's a pretty good juice
bar in the main lobby of the stadium and they serve pretty good
sandwiches as well. I asked one of the kids working behind the counter
if I could check out the ground and he said it was no problem and If I
wanted to walk on the pitch I could as well. There was a ball in one
of the nets and I took a few penalties (3/3 heh). Might be the only
American who can say they were allowed to tool around on the pitch of
the Faroese national football team.
The people/women
Everyone's favorite part, but I have to report there just aren't that
many people here in general, let alone good looking gals. According to
wikipedia, the Faroese are a North Germanic ethnic group. The Faroese
are of mixed Norse and Gaelic origins. About 21,000 Faroese live in
neighbouring countries, particularly in Denmark, and Iceland and
Norway to a lesser extent. The Faroese language is one of the North
Germanic languages and is closely related to Icelandic and to western
Norwegian varieties. For those of you into eugenics, it states that
Recent DNA analyses have revealed that Y chromosomes, tracing male
descent, are 87% Scandinavian. The studies show that mitochondrial
DNA, tracing female descent, is 84% Celtic. I'd say that they look
classically Scandinavian with high British Isles admixture. There
seems to be a big gap in population between 18 and 35. I saw a lot of
kids and families as well as old people. My guess is a lot of the
Faroese leave for university to Denmark when they finish school and
probably relocate there as there's more opportunity and things to do.
Just an educated guess. The only 18 to 35 year old girls I pretty much
saw were working at the airport, either at duty free or check-in
counters. No joke. At the airpot before my flight back to Copenhagen I
spied a Nordic/Gaelic looking cutie pie at duty free who was giving me
heavy and intense eye contact, and we chatted briefly. She asked why I
came to the Faroes and if I liked it. She recommended some Faroese
chocolate which was pretty terrible, but I gave it a chance. Didn't
number close as I was leaving and saw no point. I would've if I
chatted to her upon my arrival and not my departure. I can imagine
logistics here are awful and you pretty much need to stay in and
around the capital. Driving 40 minutes to the village where I was
staying is not going to work and/or be conducive to lays. My only hope
would be a cutie in the village, and I only saw 1 or 2 elderly men in
2 days there. So........
Final words
The Faroes is easily one of the most isolated, beautiful and different
places i've ever been too. It's not the cheapest but not going to
break your wallet either. Staying in a little Faroese village was one
of the more off the beaten path things i've done in life. If you are a
outdoorsy person who likes nature, adventure, wildlife, and history, I
highly reccomend it. I also recommend it if you want to disconnect
from the world for a few days or maybe you want to bring a chickie
here with you and maybe smash her ragged on a hillside like a Viking
did 1,000 years ago. If you are coming just for the women, I wish you
luck.....
I will try and post the few pictures I did take in another post,
anything else feel free to ask!
