Mykines, among all the Faroe Islands, is the most beautiful island. The nature on the Faroe islands is unspoiled, unexplored & unbelievable and on Mykines you will have the chance to experience it the most. We stayed overnight on the island but its a popular day trip and mostly tourists return back in the afternoon. The island is very small and only a small section of the island is open to the visitors.
There is a ferry from Sørvágur to Mykines during the summer months, leaving Sørvágur port twice daily at 10:20 and 16:20 and returning from Mykines at 11:05 & 17:05, depending on the weather. The ferry costs 60 DKK
There are only 60 seats on each ferry, so it is recommended to book at least a couple of days in advance to avoid any disappointment. For booking & actual ferry information please check their website.
The other option is to take the helicopter either to Mykines or from Mykines to Vagar Airport. This service is funded with the public tax money and is actually for locals and to transport goods to the islands, but a limited number of tourists are allowed to fly only one way by helicopter. Between Vagar airport and Mykines, the helicopter flies only on Wednesday, Friday & Sunday. There are two departures on Friday and it costs only 145 DKK to fly between Vagar airport and Mykines. The booking to fly between Mykines is allowed only 7 days in advance & sells out quickly so be prepared to book as soon as the system allows to book.
For actual timings and booking, check the website of Atlantic Airways.
We booked the morning ferry to Mykines but unfortunately, due to bad weather it got cancelled but we were lucky that there were some free places available in the afternoon ferry and luckily weather got better, so did our day. We left on time, it wasn't raining but very windy and bumpy ride all the way to Mykines. The ferry takes around 35 minutes to reach Mykines and the views of the cliffs are absolutely breathtaking.
The small village on Mykines is only a few minutes walk from the port. There are two cafes selling food, coffee and cakes etc. Most of the visitors come here to do hiking & see the puffins.
There are five hiking trails open to visitors on the island and it is prohibited to go off the trail to protect the nature and the birds. Mykines is home to many birds including Puffins, gannets, kittiwakes, fulmars, guillemots & Leach's storm petrels. Out of the five trails, number 5, the Puffin's trail is the most famous that goes to the lighthouse, passing through colonies of Puffins and dramatic cliffs. The pathway is marked and it takes around 2-3 hours to complete.
After arriving, we decided to do the Puffins trail immediately as the weather was very good which could change here any minute. The start of the trail gains little elevation and is very muddy due to frequent rain.
After about 20 minutes of hiking, we reached the colonies of puffins. There are a lot of puffins here and for the next 30 minutes on the trail, they are everywhere. We spent a lot of time trying to get some close-up pictures of the puffins.
We spent more than an hour taking pictures of beautiful puffins. The trail goes up and down the small cliffs with sweeping views of the island & ocean. Here are some of the pictures from the trail
After around two third of the trail, there is a small bridge connecting the main Mykines island to the small island.
We took more than two hours to reach the lighthouse (remember we spent more than an hour, only taking pictures of the Puffins) and one hour to get back to the village. The days are very long in summer and the weather was perfect so we enjoyed the views and didn't rush to finish the trail. Just before the end of the trail, it started to rain so we hurried to the campsite.
There is a small campsite near the village overlooking the village and the island crossing a small stream with panoramic views. It is free camping at least no one asked us to pay for it. The toilets and warm showers which cost 10 DKK are in the village less than five minutes of walk.
From Mykines, we already had a reservation to take the helicopter back to the Vagar island, weather was terrible and the ferry was cancelled so we feared we might not get back to Vagar today but luckily weather got better allowing the helicopter to fly to Mykines. From campsite and from the village the helipad is visible, and in the village on Gróthúsvegur street is a small office where you can confirm the status of the helicopter ride & check-in process. We were very excited about the helicopter ride and to see the islands from above. It was definitely the highlight of our trip to Mykines and for only 145 DKK. The views from the helicopter were incredible, with some cliffs covered in clouds. Here are some of the pictures from the helicopter ride from Mykines to Vagar airport.
Camping is the best way to stay on the island but if you are not into camping, there are a couple of Bed & Breakfast options. One B&B we found there was Marit's House B&B, you can reserve by calling them at this number +298 286408