A Trip to Mykines

Photo Album: Puffins

Photo Album: Mykines

Photo Album: Stone Walls, Grass Roofs

Mykines is the most western of the Faroe Islands, and it is only accessible in good weather. The town of Mykines is near the western end of the island, and the boat dock is in a small gorge between two cliffs, down a steep hill from the town. The rest of the island is surrounded by cliffs.

We had planned to fly to Mykines on the helicopter from the airport, but they changed the schedule without telling us. We were able to get a place on the small ferry, which was quite packed.

My children hiked out to the western end of the island, but that would have been too difficult for me, so they went without me. I did hike out there one time several years ago, and once was enough. I did only the first part of the hike to the ridge. First you climb up a steep sloping field to the ridge of the cliffs, walk along the ridge for some distance, then go down the face of the cliff on steep, slippery, muddy stone steps, and back around the cliff to the grassy slopes. These slopes are quite steep, and they are covered with long, wet grass, and full of holes in the ground where the puffins like to make their nests. Usually, you can only see these holes after you slip into them. Near the bottom of the slopes, the trail leads to a bridge across a deep gorge that separates the headlands from the rest of the island. Mid-July is still the height of the bird nesting season, and this part of the island has prime nesting ground for puffins.

We spent one night on Mykines in a bed and breakfast, which also had a restaurant serving dinner. Our rooms were up a steep ladder in the loft. The second day we walked some more around the island in the morning, and in the afternoon, when it was raining, we played card games in the restaurant of the bed and breakfast. The ferry ride back to Vágar in the late afternoon was very wet and crowded, but at least my car was waiting for us at the other end.

Posted on Monday, July 24th, 2006 at 8:27 pm; Category: General.
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