Unchartered waters: Exploring Fugloy on the Faroe Islands

A trip by helicopter and ferry

Fugloy on the Faroe Islands

When visiting the Faroe Islands it’s not easy to decide which of the 18 islands to include in the trip. One thing is for sure: A trip to one of the remote islands is worth the detour. Fugloy is one of the remotest islands and located in the Easternmost corner of the archipelago.

Fugloy Faroe Islands

Fugloy has a total population of 44 people – split up in two villages.
Pictured here: The small settlement of Kirkja.

Why we chose Fugloy?

Well, honestly – it doesn’t get any more remote and undiscovered than this. You’ll probably be the only tourist on that island for a month or even more. We kind of felt like aliens here (and also got some concerned and irritated looks from the three locals we met at the heliport).

Sheep on Fugloy Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands have their name for a good reason:
There are more sheep than people here!

There isn’t a lot to do on Fugloy, but you can hike around and get to know some of the locals who are happy to share stories about their life on the island. After we noticed that they were concerned about how we had stranded on their island, they asked us if they could take us somewhere or help us out.

Local Dog in Fugloy

This cute local lady greeted us at the heliport.
Her owner then showed us around the village.

We told them that we had just planned on exploring the island a bit and they laughed about our crazy idea. Instead they told us a few stories and fun facts about their life on Fugloy. One of the fun facts included owning 5 freezers just to be able to stock up on enough food – for cases when they’re cut off from the other islands. This happens a lot to due to the unforeseeable weather. And: On Fugloy there is no shop, no supermarket, no restaurant – just plain nothingness!

Church in Kirkja on Fugloy Faroe Island

The church of Kirkja and it’s cemetery are the main “attraction” on Fugloy. Behind the church you can see the neighbouring islands of Svínoy on the left, Viðoy on the right and even a glimpse of Borðoy in the middle.

Kirkja in Fugloy on the Faroe IslandsKirkja in Fugloy on the Faroe IslandsEnjoying the view from Fugloy on the Faroe Islands

We spent about 3 hours on Fugloy and just hiked around, took photos, flew our drone and discovered the area. We didn’t reach the other side of the island, but we felt the 3 hours were sufficient for a visit.

Fugloy

This is the main (and only?) road of the island.
It connects the villages of Hattarvík and Kirkja on Fugloy.

In the end a visit of the remote islands is not only about the destination, but also about the journey. Reaching these islands is half of the fun – as you get to use the helicopter and ferry services of the Faroe Islands, that are really something special!

Fugloy as seen from above

How to get to the remote islands

Basically only the main islands are connected via tunnels or bridges on the Faroes. Therefore many of the smaller islands can only be accessed via ferry or helicopter. Since the locals are using the helicopter as a rather “normal” means of transports, there are affordable connections to many locations.

Helicopter Ride to Fugloy on the Faroe Islands

This girl is using the helicopter regularly…
At least she only looked at her phone during the scenic flight.

?️‍?️ The ticket from Klaksvík to Fugloy costs only 110 DKK (15 Euros!).
This is definitely the cheapest helicopter flight we ever took!

How to use the helicopter service of the Faroe Islands

There’s a few things to know when you want to ride a helicopter on the Faroe Islands. First off: You are not allowed to do one-day roundtrips – only one-way trips are allowed (or roundtrips after at least 1 nights stay)! Therefore you have to organise your trip well and check how to get back from your destination beforehand. It’s best to combine a trip with the helicopter in one direction with a ferry ride in the other direction.

Helicopter Ride to Fugloy on the Faroe IslandsFaroe Islands from a helicopterFugloy Faroe Islands

Secondly: The weather conditions are unpredictable and might change the routes. We were supposed to land in the village of Hattarvík on Fugloy, but due to heavy winds and rain we were taken to the small village of Kirkja instead. We only got this info after boarding the helicopter. So it was too late for us to change our minds… well, let us tell you – we started to panic a little. How were we supposed to get back when we had only looked up the return routes from Hattarvík?

Helicopter on Fugloy Faroe Islands

The heliport of Kirkja, Fugloy.

Once we landed in Kirkja we asked the local helicopter pad manager how we can get back and he told us that the ferry will pick us up from Kirkja instead of Hattarvík as well – we just needed to call them and let them know.

Arriving in Fugloy by Helicopter

The helicopter basically lets people out and doesn’t even stop the roots for that.
It’s just a one minute stop at each destination.

Even though we arrived at the wrong destination, at least we knew we were able to get back home the same day.

?️‍?️ If you want to fly a helicopter on the Faroe Islands:
Check the schedule of the helicopters from Atlantic Airways and book your ticket online in advance.

Ferry arriving in Fugloy

How to use the ferry service on the Faroe Islands

Since there’s no possibility to stay overnight in Fugloy (except for camping), we had to get back from the island without being able to use the helicopters. This is when the ferry service comes in handy!

Kirkja in Fugloy

Kirkja is a cute little village, but has no restaurants or guesthouses!
So except for some wild camping there’s no way to stay here for the night.

Unfortunately the ferry schedules on the Faroe Islands are rather complicated – so you’ll have to check the schedule rigorously (it all depends on seasons, weekdays, time of the day, etc.). Some ferries go automatically for some you have to call in and let them know that you need to be picked up.

The port of Fugloy Faroe Islands

This is the official “port” of Fugloy!
Not too many options if you don’t call the ferry…

Also there’s no way to book a place on board of the ferries (or busses) beforehand (unless you are a group of more than 10 people or you are going to the Mykines – then you have to make reservations via e-mail). Therefore we just called the ferry, told them we were in Kirkja and needed a pick-up and then paid on board of the ship.

Ferry on the Faroe IslandsFerry on the Faroe IslandsFerry on the Faroe Islands

On the way back from Fugloy we passed by the West coast of neighbouring Svínoy.

Therefore it’s important to check the timetable and read all the footnotes before you head out to a remote island and can’t return the same day. On many of these islands there isn’t even a restaurant or place to stay for the night so you won’t want to camp there 🙂

Ferry on the Faroe Islands

We were quite relieved when our ship came to pick us up!

On the way back from Fugloy we couldn’t go to our starting point in Klaksvík directly. Therefore we took the ferry to another island and then a mini bus for the final leg of the trip. But as stated before the journey is the reward on the Faroe Islands. Just check the views we had from aboard the ferry!

Ferry service on the Faroe IslandsView from the ferry on the Faroe IslandsView from the ferry on the Faroe IslandsView from the ferry on the Faroe IslandsView from the ferry on the Faroe IslandsView from the ferry on the Faroe Islands

?️‍?️ Ferry timetable:
This way to check the schedule of the ferries from Strandfaraskip Landsins (SSL).

From the ferry port in Hvannasund we got picked up by a minibus, that was organised from the crew of the ship. The bus then returned us safely back to the heliport in Klaksvík, where we had left our car in the morning.

Klaksvík Faroe Islands

The art of getting lost

We feel the Faroe Islands are the perfect place to get lost and just experience something that feels so undiscovered and remote, that it’s hard to grasp. Nowadays there’s little places left like this in the world. Therefore it’s easy to cherish an experience to such an off-the-beaten path location.

FugloySvínoyFugloy Faroe Islands

Did you get a taste for a little Faroe Islands adventure? Here are some practical infos as to planning your trip to Fugloy:

How to get to Fugloy

Our recommended trip to Fugloy looks like this:

  • Start at Klaksvík Heliport.
  • Take the helicopter to Hattarvík.
  • Take the ferry from Hattarvík to Hvannasund.
  • Get a bus transfer from Hvannasund to Klaksvík.

This sounds more complicated than it is as the people from the helicopter and ferry company will help you organise your trip. These are the steps we had to take:

  • Book a helicopter ticket in advance online.
  • Get to the heliport in Klaksvík by car (it takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to drive from Tórshavn to Klaksvík). You’ll have to be at the helipad at least 20 minutes prior to departure.
  • Take the helicopter from Klaksvík to island of Fugloy.
  • ENJOY FUGLOY 🙂
  • When you are on Fugloy, call one of these numbers (+298 293105 or +298 293118) at least two hours prior to the scheduled departure time of the ferry. Let them know that you would like to take the ferry from Hattarvík (or Kirkja) to Hvannasund.
  • Take the ferry from Hattarvík (or Kirkja) to Hvannasund. When you are on the ferry, let the crew know that you would like to take the bus from Hvannasund to Klaksvík. They will book this for you.
  • You must pay for the ferry and bus when you are on board. This cannot be pre-paid in advance.

We started our trip at the heliport in Klaksvík, which is easy to reach by car. You can leave your car here and will be able to get back here later with a minibus transfer.

Heliport in Klaksvík on the Faroe Islands

This little hut is the Heliport in Klaksvík!

If you liked this blogpost, check out our hike to another highlight of the Faroe Islands:

Faroe Islands Hike: Sørvágsvatn & Trælanípa