Explore Streymoy, the main island of the Faroes, on this great road trip.
Our road trip itinerary showcases the island’s must-see locations. Visit the capital city of Tórshavn, the ancient religious centre of Kirkjubøur, and the charming villages in the north. Each has its own unique characteristics and appeal.
Table of Contents
Streymoy Island Itinerary
Our road trip starts in Tórshavn and continues clockwise around the island to these impressive places.
- Discover the culture and history of Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands.
- Explore the historic village of Kirkjubøur, including the Saint Magnus Cathedral Ruins.
- Take a boat tour to the Vestmanna Sea Cliffs to spot nesting seabirds, maybe even puffins.
- Learn about the Faroese whaling industry at Hvalastøðin við Áir, a former whaling station turned open-air museum.
- Experience traditional Faroese farm life in Saksun, at the Dúvugarðar Heritage Farm.
- See Fossá, the Faroe Islands’ highest waterfall.
- Stand on Tjørnuvík’s beach facing the open ocean, a perfect place for surfing.
Streymoy Island Map
Streymoy, sits in the middle of the archipelago. Its land area is a quarter of the entire country, the largest island of the Faroes. Almost half of the country’s population lives on Streymoy.
Our road trip begins in Tórshavn, one of the island’s must-see places, on the southeastern coast.
Tórshavn
Tórshavn, the capital and the Faroe Islands’ largest city, blends historic and modern attractions.
Wander the narrow alleyways of Old Town, where traditional black timber homes with white-trimmed windows and turf roofs have stood since the 14th century. Many are homes while others are cafés, bars and restaurants serving excellent food.
The Tinganes peninsula is one of the oldest parliamentary meeting sites in the world dating back to the Viking chieftains around 900 AD. The cluster of red, wooden buildings is the original seat of the Faroese government. Several still hold government offices.
Vaglið Square is a central pedestrian area close to shops, cafes, and cultural institutions. Discover more about Tórshavn in our full article, Best Things to do in Tórshavn.
Drive south to Kirkjubøur, a tiny village on Streymoy’s southwest coast.
Kirkjubøur
This sleeping-looking village was once the religious heart of the Faroe Islands. It is now a must-visit for history buffs and photographers.
The Faroe Islands became part of the powerful, medieval Catholic Church in the 11th century due to the influence of the Norwegian kings. Kirkjubøur became the bishop’s seat and head office of the Catholic diocese of the Faroe Islands in the 12th century. In 1539, the Protestant Reformation was carried out under the Danish King of the Faroes, and the diocese of the Faroe Islands was dissolved.
Today Kirkjubøur is a fraction of the size it was during its time as the seat of the diocese but several buildings from that era remain.
The white Saint Ólav’s Parish Church is the Faroe Islands’ oldest church and the only one from the medieval era which is still in use. Named after the Norwegian King Olav den Hellige, it was the main church of the Catholic diocese from 1111 to 1538.
By 1862, the church was in very poor repair. Restoration work was carried out which changed the appearance of the church. In the 1960s a second restoration was completed with the aim of restoring the church to its original look. Don’t miss the unique altarpiece depicting a Faroese fishing boat, painted by local artist Sámal Mikines. It was given to the church at the re-consecration ceremony in 1967.
The basalt walls of the Saint Magnus Cathedral Ruins dominate the village. Using money raised through a tax levied on Faroese farmers, Bishop Erlendur ordered a cathedral built around 1300. The Gothic building style is similar to West Norwegian churches built around the same time. It is believed that the cathedral held some of the finest artwork and decoration found in the Nordic countries when it was completed in about 1340.
As a result of the mid-16th century Reformation, the cathedral was dismantled and left as a shell. Its valuable artwork and furnishings were dispersed but many eventually became part of the collection in the National Museum in Tórshavn.
We walked out to the Lýkhús Ruins, located about 100 metres east of the cathedral ruins. Local historical records mention a church here from around 1420 and archaeological evidence suggests it was likely St. Brendan’s Church. The ruins are located in an area known as Líkhúsfløtti, or the “Mortuary field,” suggesting it was used for funerary purposes. Unfortunately, much of the original structure has been lost to coastal erosion, leaving just fragments of the original building.
Between the 12th and 16th centuries, the bishop of the diocese lived in Kirkjubøur in the bishop’s palace. The 11th-century farmhouse, Kirkjubøargarður, by the entrance gate to St. Olav’s churchyard, sits on the remains of the palace. It is one of the oldest, continuously-inhabited, wooden houses in the world. The farmhouse has been occupied by the Patursson family for 17 generations beginning in 1550.
Today, a small portion of this house has been converted to become the Roykstovan Museum. Visit these rooms which were originally part of the bishop’s residence and now hold artifacts and furnishings.
The smoke room, or roykstovan in Faroese, dates back to the 11th century. This was the bishop’s traditional living, working and dining area. A common room was used for a Latin school. The loft room is believed to be where Bishop Erlendur wrote the earliest known document from the Faroe Islands in 1298. These rooms offer a unique look into Faroese history and traditional daily life.
If you have time and enjoy hiking, consider walking the 5.5-kilometre, cairn-marked path over the mountain from Tórshavn to Kirkjubøur. Several of the other islands can be seen from the trail. It is about a 1.5 hour walk one way.
Return to Tórshavn and turn north on Highway 50 called the Oyggjarvegur. Enjoy the stunning scenery on this route as it climbs over the mountains and into the valley beyond. Be sure to stop at the Norðadalsskar viewpoint.
Koltur and Norðadalsskar Viewpoint
The Norðadalsskarð mountain pass is at an elevation of 270 metres and about a 15-minute drive from Tórshavn. From the viewpoint, look southwest, down the valley to the village of Norðradalur on the coast and, in clear weather, across to Koltur Island.
If you enjoy a winding road through a narrow, steep-sided valley, drive down to the village.
Small, uninhabited Koltur Island is located in the Vágafjørður, the fjord between Vágar island and the southern part of Streymoy. Koltur has sheer cliffs rising out of the ocean on all sides. Its flat top makes it look like a table. It was abandoned in the 1980s by its last inhabitants, but continues to be used for sheep grazing. On clear days the islands of Hestur and potentially even Sandoy may be visible beyond Koltur.
For an unforgettable experience, continue north along Streymoy’s western coast to the harbour in Vestmanna and take a sea cliffs tour.
Vestmanna Sea Cliffs Tours
The spectacular sea cliffs, near the village of Vestmanna, are a popular destination for birdwatchers and nature lovers. Many species of seabirds, including puffins, guillemots, fulmars, and kittiwakes, nest on the cliff faces during summer. The cliffs seem to come alive with thousands of seabirds.
The very popular Vestmanna Sea Cliffs boat tour takes you into deep grottoes and around free-standing sea stacks carved by wave action for millions of years. Get up close to the almost 600-metre-high, vertical cliffs filled with birds. Sheep are often seen grazing on impossibly steep, grassy slopes.
The boat tour is about 90 minutes long. Tours depart from the Vestmanna Tourist Centre at the harbour and operate from early April to late October. While tickets can be purchased on site, it is best to book your Vestmanna Sea Cliffs Tour well in advance. Tours can sell out, especially during peak season.
Vestmanna
The village is one of the larger villages in the Faroe Islands. It is believed that Vestmanna was one of the first places settled in the Faroe Islands. Recent discoveries of Viking remains in the area support this belief.
Vestmanna’s large harbour supports its fishing industry, which has a rich history and continues to be Vestmanna’s main industry. Half-day and full-day fishing trips are available with Fishing with Blastein during the summer months. This was a ferry port until 2002 when the first undersea tunnel in the Faroes opened, linking Vágar and Streymoy. While there are no longer any ferry services operating from the village, the harbour is very busy with the popularity of the sea cliff boat tours.
The Vestmanna Tourist Centre, the meeting place for the boat tours, has a souvenir shop, restaurant, public toilets and the Saga Museum. This museum is the only wax museum in the Faroe Islands. With seventeen life-like figures, it presents Faroe Island history from the Age of Settlement through the Viking age to the 17th century.
Don’t forget to try some fresh seafood in the local restaurants!
For a taste of local spirits, visit the Faer Isles Distillery, just 200 metres southeast of the Tourist Centre. This young distillery is making waves in the world of craft spirits, using local ingredients to create unique Faroese flavours.
Guided tours of the distillery are available which include tasting their vodka, gin, akvavit and whisky. The tours take approximately 1 hour. For more information about their products or to book a tour, visit the Faer Isles Distillery. Advance booking is recommended, as tours can be cancelled if too few have booked.
Depart Vestmanna as you entered and continue north enjoying the stunning views along the east coast of Streymoy. The drive to við Áir is about 30 minutes.
Whaling Station við Áir Museum
The open-air museum, located just south of Hvalvík, is a former whaling station known as við Áir. It was the last of 7 stations built in the Faroes between 1894 and 1905 by a Norwegian company, at the time the leaders in whale processing technology. The Norwegians left in the 1930s and Faroese companies continued to operate the station until 1958 when whale stocks were becoming seriously depleted.
The commercial whaling industry closed in 1984 in the Faroes and most of the world. This station is the only one of its kind left in the northern hemisphere.
You are free to walk among the museum’s buildings and production equipment. All the equipment and machinery was used in the production of whale oil and meal from whale carcasses. Signs note details about the buildings’ uses and describe the pieces of equipment.
This museum provides an authentic and historical look into the whaling industry in the Faroe Islands and its impact on the local culture and economy.
Continue north to Route 53 which heads west into the Saksun Valley.
Hvalvík and Streymnes
Over time, these two small villages have grown together around the intersection of Routes 53 and 10. The area is known for its scenic beauty, situated in a valley that opens out to the sea, providing stunning views of the surrounding mountains and fjords.
One of the main attractions is the Hvalvík Church which dates from 1829. It is said to be the oldest wooden church in the Faroe Islands. It has the typical stone foundation, black-tarred walls, grass roof of wildflowers and small tower of Faroese church architecture. Its early 17th-century pulpit was originally in the cathedral in Tórshavn. The church is on the right-hand side (north) as you drive down the Saksun Valley to our next stop.
Saksun
This remote and picturesque village, at the end of a former inlet of the sea, is surrounded by steep mountains. The inlet was blocked by sand during a storm in the 1600s. Its deep, natural harbour became inaccessible. Even at high tide, it was only the smallest boats which managed to reach the harbour. Today the former harbour area is a stunning tidal lagoon, known as Pollurin.
Many of the village buildings and houses are turf-roofed, including the white church, showcasing typical Faroese architecture.
The main attraction in Saksun is the Dúvugarðar Saksun Heritage Farm. Historically Dúvugarðar dates back to the 16th century. It was the largest farm in the Faroe Islands, supporting a flock of about 700 sheep across its 2,500 hectares. The farm, complete with farmhouse and outbuildings, is being lovingly restored to its 18th-century look. This is a working farm, open to the public, during the summer months. See what 18th-century Faroese farm life was like, including the challenges of farming in such a remote location and learn about the island’s agricultural history.
The pretty, white Saksun Church was originally built in Tjørnuvík. Before 1858 Saksun residents had made the lengthy journey over the mountains to Tjørnuvík to attend church. To encourage more church attendance, a church was needed in Saksun. This led to the church being built in Tjørnuvík, broken down, carried in pieces over the mountains, and reassembled in Saksun in the same year. The only difference between the original church and the rebuilt version is that the external walls are built of stone instead of wood. Photographers will enjoy the contrast of the church’s white exterior and green, turf roof against the dramatic landscape of Saksun.
Hiking enthusiasts may want to try the hike to the village of Tjørnuvík, following the route of the early residents for church services through the surrounding mountains. It is scenic and moderately challenging, taking 2 to 3 hours one-way.
Saksun is also famous for its black sand beach at the end of the tidal lagoon. Enjoy an easy, 4.5 km (1 to 1.5 hours round trip) hike from the western side of the river to the stunning lagoon. The Saksun Lagoon Walk offers breathtaking views of waterfalls cascading down the surrounding cliffs, crashing waves and the black sand beach. Note: A fee is charged for this hike which is only safely accessible at low tide. Be sure to check the tide chart at the start of the path – if you go down when the tide is coming in, you could get stranded.
Return to Hvalvík and continue north to the tallest waterfall in the Faroes.
Fossá Waterfall
Fossá has a total drop of 140 metres. split into two cascades. Located right beside the road, south of the village of Haldórsvík, it is easily accessible throughout the year. It’s particularly impressive after heavy rain when the volume of water increases dramatically.
Continue north to Haldórsvík and drive the 5-kilometre-long, single-lane road into the northernmost village on Streymoy. Stoplights control the traffic flow.
Tjørnuvík
At the end of the road, along edge of the fjord, is the tiny village of Tjørnuvík, sitting in a semi-circular valley. The village is known for the views across the Sundini Strait to the sea stacks of Risin and Kellingin (The Giant and the Witch) off the tip of Eysturoy.
The village’s black sand beach has become a popular spot for surfing, if you are brave enough to tackle the cold North Atlantic.
In the heart of the village stands the Tjørnuvík Kirkja, a charming white church with a distinctive red roof. Built in 1936, it’s another excellent example of traditional Faroese church architecture. The church choir is well known as it still performs Kingo hymns, by the 17th century Danish poet and hymn writer Thomas Kingo. The hymns are sung without accompaniment and often to complicated Faroese folk melodies. The church is only open for Sunday services.
Viking graves have been found on the eastern side of the valley suggesting settlement here as early as the 10th century.
Explore Our Complete Faroe Islands Itinerary
Exploring Streymoy Island is just one part of an unforgettable Faroe Islands adventure. Discover our complete series of detailed guides to help you plan your perfect 5-day trip:
Main Article: 5 Days in the Faroe Islands
Day 1: Tórshavn – Explore the capital city
Day 2: Vágar Island – Iconic waterfalls and lakes
Day 3: Streymoy Island – You’re reading this guide now!
Day 4: Eysturoy, Kalsoy and the Northern Islands – Unforgettable nature and legends
Day 5: Suðuroy Island – The less travelled southern gem
