Sea birds and sea stacks of the Faroe Islands – 7 Nights in Tórshavn

The westernmost island of the Faroes is an important breeding ground for several species of seabird including northern fulmars, European storm petrels, and most famously 125,000 pairs of Atlantic puffins. You can take a daytrip to this island to see the puffins up close.

For a small archipelago with a population a little over 50,000 you may be surprised to learn that they a 2-star Michelin restaurant, as well as a two more restaurants that make the Michelin guide. Whilst traditionally Faroease food as revolved around fermented meat and fish it is becoming much easier to find vegetarian and vegan food as well.

On the Faroe Islands you’re never more than 5 km from the ocean, and, as such, it’s a great place to explore by boat. There are various options, but one of the most impressive is a tour along the dramatic cliffs from Vestmanna where you will pop in and out of the grottos hidden along the cliff face.

The Faroe Islands have an abundance of walking routes with breath-taking views and an abundance of wildlife, mainly birds such as curlew, snipe, plovers, and, petrels. Footpaths tend to be narrow and can be a little indistinct but are waymarked with strategically placed cairns and wooden posts. For less experience walkers, we can organise a local guide. For those that are happy to walk independently, we send you routes plotted on the ‘footpathsapp’ and, whilst these are not as detailed as an ordinance survey map, they are a good 3D visual guide.

Though the interior of the bar here is modest and understated, the staff are really friendly and you can sample a great selection of local ales. This is a great place to go before dinner.

Steinprent is the Faroese term for stone lithography. The old lithographic factory runs a workshop where you can learn all about the history and process of this fascinating tradition. Despite this being such an old art form, the gallery here displays a surprisingly modern selection of prints, from landscape to pre-raphaelite-style paintings and pop art to contemporary works. All prints of the prints are numbered and signed by the artist and the stone print gets sanded back, so that print can never be produced again.

The name 'Tinganes' means parliament point, an apt description because these old government buildings sit on a rocky isthmus, jutting out into the port of Torshavn. This is one of the oldest known parliamentary meeting places in the world, first established by Norwegian colonists during Viking times. Today, you can walk past the grass roofed government buildings and enjoy the view out into the harbour.

This fortress was originally built in the 1630’s to protect against pirate raids, and was later used by the British as a military base during the second world war. You can walk around the fortress and peer inside the old buildings, but the main appeal for many is that the fort offers great views over the port of Torshavn.

A modern gallery displaying art through the ages, from the 1830’s through to the contemporary modern pieces of today. This is a great way to gain a range of artistic perspectives of this wild and beautiful archipelago. There are sculptures and paintings, as well as an immersive glass and mirror installation, where you can see 700m up and down. The gallery is just a few minute’s walk from Torshavn and there's a really nice park nearby, which you can take a walk through.

If you want to do something a bit more adventurous you can try coasteering, sea kayaking mountain biking, abseiling.