Travel Crush of the Week: The Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are home to just 50,000 people. Photo by Davide Gorla.
SnapshotTiana Attride

Like everyone else, we’re taking a pause from travel to do our part in protecting global health. As the world slows down and we have more time than ever to fantasize about future trips, our travel crushes will seek inspiration in the places we dream of returning to someday. This week, one editor sails north to the Faroe Islands to embrace the creative potential of a more remote way of life.

Taking a break from travel now and again is normal; taking a break from leaving our homes at all, on the other hand, is pretty unprecedented. All things considered, I’m incredibly grateful to be able to work from home for the foreseeable future. Still, social distancing and isolation, though currently good for everybody, hasn’t been easy on anybody.

a man standing on a grassy cliff overlooking the ocean
Faroese entrepreneur Jóhannus Hansen, owner of Reika Adventures, stands with the Witch's Finger behind him on the island of Vágar. Photo by Celeste Noche.
a woman with cropped hair at a table
Surfer and activist Katrin Baerentsen, a founding member of the LGBTQ+ Faroe Islands Society. Photo by Celeste Noche.

Lately, I’ve been looking to the Faroe Islands for inspiration, a prime example of how life in solitude isn’t inherently bad. Not only is it one of the most remote inhabited destinations on earth, but it also experienced a dramatic population decline during the last several decades.

In recent years, however, the islands’ remaining natives have been reclaiming their archipelago as an excellent place to settle down and set up shop. Entrepreneurs and creatives seem to find great joy in the immersive peace and quiet that the isolated isles provide. 

Now, I’m hoping to do the same. While a trip to the Faroe Islands may need to wait, I’m channeling my dream itinerary to do as do the Faroese do: dig deep, challenge myself creatively, and see what I can produce when the distractions of everyday life are taken out of the equation.

waves crashing up onto the shore of an island with a small village
Gjógv, a village on the island Eysturoy. Photo by Vincent van Zeijist.

The Writer’s Retreat of a Lifetime

For a visit to Tórshavn, the capital city, Hotel Føroyar and Hotel Havgrím are unrivaled choices. But for the writing retreat I’ve imagined in my mind, I’d take a drive to Klaksvík or the even more detached town of Gjógv and rent an Airbnb cabin to set my imagination free with a few days (weeks?) of undisturbed serenity.

a man, woman, and dog outside a farm house
Harriet Olafsdóttir av Gørðum, and her husband, John, founded Hanusarstova, a mixed-use sheep farm and inn. Here, they stand outside their home just before hosting a heimablídni dinner. Photo by Celeste Noche.

Heimablídni for Dinner

Heimablídni directly translates to “home hospitality,” something I’m thinking about a lot right now. An experience offered on most of the islands, natives host these intimate, multi-course dinners as a way to welcome and familiarize guests with Faroese cuisine. A home-cooked helping of fresh seafood, whale, lamb, and local produce sounds like just the way to get settled into island life (and motivate me to do some Faroe-inspired home cooking of my own!). 

a Nordic island village as seen from the ocean
Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands.

Arts in the North Atlantic

Along with immersing myself in nature (hiking, biking, horseback riding, sailing, surfing—you name it), I also plan on making this a cultural excursion. The Faroese people pride themselves on their artistic inclination, and many singers, dancers, and storytellers regularly put their talents on display at concerts, art exhibitions, and other events in Tórshavn. For now, I’ll be putting my talents on display via Instagram Stories.