Saksun, a picturesque remote village only 45 minutes drive from Torshavn is a combination of towering cliffs, waterfalls and stunning traditional 200 years old turf-roofed farmhouses. It is absolutely one of the most beautiful and idyllic places in the Faroe Islands and a must-see with a permanent tiny population of only eight people.
The last 11km of the drive to Saksun is on a very narrow single track road through a valley surrounded by steep mountains. While driving on the narrow road keep an eye on the traffic coming from the opposite direction, there are some designated places along the road to stop and let the traffic pass.
500 meters before the village at the end of Saksunarvatn lake, by continuing on the same road, you will arrive in the tiny village with traditional farmhouses and if you take the diversion, only after a few minutes drive you will reach the end of the road with a small parking. From here in low tide, a small hiking path will take you all the down to the beach and the waterfall.
The village has small parking along the main road for the visitors near the Church. Unfortunately, the church is often closed and not always opened for the visitors. When we visited, the Church was closed. There is a path near the church that goes down to the lagoon.
The farmhouses in Saksun are stunning and an excellent photography location is just behind them along the paved road. Please keep in mind to not go off the path or enter the houses which are private property and farmers get really angry if you trespass.
We spent almost half an hour taking pictures of the houses and the church before going to the small cafe which is in one of the traditional farmhouses selling coffee and offering some wooden benches to sit outside and inside. They allowed us to sit on their benches without buying anything from the cafe. We made some coffee and tea using our own cooking stove to take it with us for the hike.
While we were still preparing for the hike, it started to rain but our spirits were high and we started the hike to Tjornuvík
Saksun Hike (Saksun to Tjornuvík)
Near the farmhouses, a path is visible going up to the mountains and a small waterfall. This is the only path and goes all the way to Tjornuvík. The hike from Saksun to Tjornuvík is less than 7km one way and takes around 3 hours to complete. We parked our car in Saksun and decided to return to Saksun by hiking back on the same path.
We left the Saksun in rain and continued on the path to the waterfall. This section is steep and the path is very slippery. As we moved further up the mountain, the rain was getting stronger and stronger but we were still in high spirits due to the splendid views around us. The path is well-trodden and the red sticks along the path make it easy to follow.
After hiking around one hour we reach the top of the mountain overlooking the village, lagoon and the waterfalls. At the top, we decided to walk along the ridge overlooking the village for some nice views. It was raining continuously and we were soaked but the views from the top were absolutely worth the hike. We took a short break at the top, had coffee which we prepared at the cafe in the village and some chocolates.
The weather was getting worse especially with the fog rolling in, the peaks and the hiking path was almost invisible and with it, our spirits were dying as well. We didn't want to hike for five more hours (return) in thick fog and see nothing along the way so we went back to Saksun by taking the same path. We were really happy that we enjoyed the views from the top without any fog. The hike was relatively easy and absolutely worth the effort.
Where to Stay
We stayed overnight on CAMPING EIÐI on the island of Esturoy next to football ground along Niðara Vatn lake. It is one of the best campsites in the Faroe islands with excellent facilities including kitchen, free Wifi, hot showers and a nice dining room.