Vágar island is my favorite of all the Faroe Islands. The landscape is so dramatic and the villages so charming, you almost don’t need to explore any other island to get the full Faroese experience. From jaw-dropping waterfalls to easy hikes with the most stunning views – Vágar really has it all. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about visiting Vagar island, as well as what the best things to do and see there are.
About Vágar island
Vágar, with Mykines, is the third-largest island of the Faroe Islands and one of the 18 in the entire archipelago. Vagar is the starting point for most tourists coming to the Faroe Islands, as it is home to the only airport in the Faroe Islands – Vágar Airport. The island has three large villages: Miðvágur, Sandavágur and Sørvágur and three smaller ones: Gásadalur, Bøur, and Vatnsoyrar. Besides the cozy villages, it also has some of the most beautiful landscapes you’ll see on your entire trip to the Faroe Islands.
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You should spend three nights exploring the island, and add an extra day if you’re planning on visiting Mykines. I recommend you start your Faroese adventures here, so you won’t have to pay the tunnel fees to drive to Torshavn and need to come back more than once.
Fun fact: Vagar is shaped like a dog’s head, with the fjord Sørvágsfjørður as the mouth and the lake Fjallavatn as the eye.
Top 10 Things to do in Vagar
1. Gasadalur Village
Gasadalur is undoubtedly the most charming and picturesque village in the Faroe Islands. Located on the west side of Vagar island, it’s the perfect base for your trip around the island due to its calm and raw, beautiful environment.
2. Mulafossur Waterfall
Located just a 5-minute walk away from Gasadalur village, Mulafossur waterfall is the most stunning waterfall in the Faroe Islands and will surely leave you in awe.
Here is everything you need to know about visiting the cosy village of Gásadalur:
Visit Gásadalur – Home to the Stunning Múlafossur Waterfall
3. Bøur Village
Home to 74 people (Jan 2020), Bøur village is located on the west side of Vágar and has some of the island’s most beautiful views. From here you can see the rocky islet Tindhólmur, Gáshólmur, and Drangarnir. Besides the views over the sea, you’ll also see plenty of picturesque traditional houses here. My favorite views were taken by The View houses, where you could also opt to stay if you don’t mind being just by the road.
Parking for the village is available here. Make sure you walk around and take pictures without disturbing the locals.
4. The Nix
The Faroe Islands are packed with myths and legends, and the story about The Nix is one of them. The Nix is a statue of a mythic sea horse in Lake Sørvágsvatn, created by a local artist Pol Skardenni. The story is about a beautiful horse who lures people close and then drags them into the water unless being called by its name. Read or listen to the entire mythical story here.
5. Trælanípan hike
The hike along the lake Sørvágsvatn out to Trælanípa is both beautiful and easy. This hike is a favorite among the locals as well as tourists and provides an interesting optical illusion of the lake hanging over the ocean. This hike takes about 1.5 hours both ways and a little longer if you decide to take lots of photos.
The entrance fee to hike to Trælanípa is 200DKK per person, you can pay with cash or credit card at the entrance.
6. Sandavágs church
The beautiful red-roofed church in Sandavágur was built during world war 1 and is the oldest Faroese church that is both designed and built by Faroe islanders.
7. Trøllkonufingur or the Witches’ finger
Trøllkonufingur or the witches’ finger is a 313 m tall monolith near the town of Sandavágur on Vágar island. Legend has it that Trøllkonufingur is the finger of a witch that came to throw the Faroe Islands to Iceland, but when she came to the sea on Vágar island, the sunrise caused her to turn into stone and fall into the ocean.
8. Dunnesdrangar hike
Dunnesdrangar might just be Vagar island’s best-kept secret. This hike and viewpoint is still largely undiscovered by tourists or locals alike and offers some of the most dramatic views in the whole of the Faroe Islands. Make sure you read my post describing the hike in detail.
Find the hiking route description to this amazing viewpoint here:
Dunnesdrangar Hike – The Best Kept Secret of Faroe Islands
9. Mykines
Mykines is the westernmost of the 18 Faroe Islands and lies just a short helicopter or ferry ride from Vágar. The island is a very popular destination for tourists who are keen on seeing thousands of puffins in the summer and the hike to the remote lighthouse on Mykineshólmur – the island connected to Mykines by a footbridge.
Mykines is one of the hardest islands to plan a visit for, so make sure you read these tips:
7 Things You MUST Know Before Booking a Trip to Mykines
Mykines offers spectacular views, rich birdlife, and unbelievable nature. It’s a little tricky to get to, however, so make sure you plan well in advance and read about the things you must know before booking your trip there. If you want to do Mykines the easy way, then be sure to book this tour with guaranteed puffin sighting.
10. Drangarnir hike
One of the toughest and longest hikes on Vagar, but surely one of the most rewarding ones too. If you have an extra day to spend on Vagar, I highly suggest you take this hike. Make sure you also plan in advance as the land on Faroes is private and the owners of the land and hiking path to Drangarninr only accommodate group tours 3x a week. The tour costs 550 DKK per person and the trip takes about 5-6 hours. If you want to take a shorter and easier way there, then a 1-hour boat tour or a 3-hour boat tour and hike are the only other way to go.
Vágar Airport
The main airport for Faroe Islands is on Vágar island and will likely be your starting point for your adventures around this beautiful country. There are direct flights operating to the Faroe Islands from Copenhagen (among a few other smaller destinations) and the flight takes about 2 hours.
Once you arrive to Vagar Airport, the easiest way to get around is by booking a car in advance. Most of the companies will leave the car parked at the airport parking and you’re ready to go!
I hope you enjoyed reading about the best things to do in Vágar. If you happen to have any questions just comment below – I look at the comment section regularly.
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