I seem to be drawn to remote islands, and the Faroes definitely fit into that categorization.
Until recently, most people that I have met on my travels, even avid travellers, hadn’t heard of the Faroe Islands. I visited a five years ago, and it seems that the secret has slowly been starting to get out. Even so…people I meet that do know it’s a little European nation still can’t point to it on a map! The only people who ever seem to have some passion about the Faroes are ones that heard something about some dolphins or whales being killed there.
Torshavn – Statue outside the Mayors Office
Church in Torshavn, Faroe Islands
Dolphins, no. But whales, yes. They call it the “Grind”, and it is a hot topic among the Faroese and anybody who visits these islands that are off in the North Atlantic ocean. But there is a lot more to these amazing islands than that. (For the record, yes I did eat whale in the Faroes, when a couple of different people offered me some from their private supply.)
The Famous Gasadalur Waterfall
Town of Gjogv in the Faroe Islands
By definition the Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of Denmark. despite strong ties to the mainland, the Faroes are fiercely independent, with their own money and plenty of pride – so don’t make the mistake of calling the Danish!
Exploring Torshavn!
Grass-Roofed House
My purpose for travelling around the Faroes was to soak up the lush green scenery, enjoy plenty of Faroese music, take some photographs of strange landscapes and curious creatures. I saw plenty of whales and sheep, puffins and other seabirds. When in the towns, I found the old-style green-roofed houses particularly interesting. Today, they’re mostly historic buildings and special areas, not so practical by modern standards.
Tinganes – Parliament Area of Torshavn
Great Views of Streymoy Island
I hiked around admiring many waterfalls and had fun seeing how nervous my guide got when driving towards oncoming traffic going through the lengthy, one-lane tunnels that connected some of the islands. Really, those tunnels were quite cool – a cross between playing chicken and frogger – it was a fine line between too aggressive and too cautious. Don’t drive fast enough and you’ll get stuck in a tunnel pullout, causing a logjam behind you (only space for 1-3 cars in each pull out). But if you’re too aggressive, you might race to the next pullout when it isn’t your turn, causing oncoming traffic to screech to a halt or backup. I’m sure it would make for an entertaining TV channel to watch, except for the fact that traffic jams and traffic in general is pretty rare in the Faroe Islands.
Bordoy Island – Tunnel to Klaksvik
Which way to go?
Outside of Torshavn, even Klaksvik, the next “big” city seems sleepy quiet. It’s peaceful, the weather is generally pleasant during the short summer – not too hot, maybe a bit rainy. People smile when you walk past them on the street. Most of them speak English and seem very well educated and welcoming.
It’s a small nation of islands, at about the same latitude as Iceland, but that is about the only thing similar between them. The Faroes don’t have dramatic volcanoes and geysers. It’s lush, green mountains and waterfalls here. Much more like Scotland. Fishing, farming, music and arts are all big in the Faroe Islands. Farming though, not so much for food, but sheep. There are plenty of sheep in the Faroes, so knitwear and wool clothes are very popular. Sadly, the harsh climate, despite being lush and green here, doesn’t allow for growing much produce. Rhubarb is a big crop, potatoes can be grown. But with a sparse, small population of ~50,000 total, there aren’t any huge farming operations aside from fish farms.
Exploring Saksun on Streymoy Island
Beautiful Scenery of the Faroe Islands
They do get a steady supply of food from Denmark and Europe. Grocery stores are mostly well-stocked, but the variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and meats were all a bit lacking in the stores I went to. Sure, lots of apples, root vegetables and frozen meats, but in general seafood is the name of the game in the Faroes. No shortage of candy bars, sodas and snacks though!
Horses in the Faroe Islands
Sheep in the Shade, no shortage of Sheep in the Faroes!
Oddly, each island in the Faroes really has it’s own personality too. Some are only accessible by boat or helicopter, others have numerous historic buildings on them, and some seem to be straight out of a fairytale book.
I was happy that there were some craft breweries in the Faroe Islands, which made more than adequate beers. I enjoyed more than my fair share of local beers at the G! Festival, a fantastic music festival that was the finishing highlight of my Faroe islands adventure. I’m intrigued to return and visit in winter next time, although I’d also like to explore and hike around some of the further, remote areas of the islands too. Hard to choose! I did enjoy their fun “remote tourism” tours on Facebook this past spring, where you could interact with, and “control” a local Faroese guide as they walked around the islands!
Leypannagjogv Waterfall
Wandering around Bour on Vagar Island
It was a quirky, cool concept, something that seemed quite fitting for the Faroe Islands. If you’re like me and prefer different travel destinations, consider the Faroes when it comes time to travel again.
Hot Pot time in Gota during the G! Festival
G! Festival in the Faroe Islands
Living Room Concert Series in Torshavn with Marius and Hedin
A few final photos of Faroes! If you do visit, know that it’s so green because rain is pretty common – it rains more than 200 days a year in the Faroes! Don’t expect a ton of heat either, as even in mid-summer it rarely reaches 13C /55F. It’s often cloudy during summer too, but when the sun comes out, the islands light up with tons of vibrancy…it’s a great place for photography.
Gjogv in the Faroes
An impressive Christian Church on Bordoy Island
Kirkjubour on Streymoy Island
Akraberg on Suduroy Island, the Southern Tip of the Faroes
With only two breweries distributing across the Faroes, I do believe the Faroe Islands probably have the poorest selection of local beers when compared to just about any other European country.
For those that don’t know, these islands are off in the middle of the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Scotland, and they had a long prohibition period, so it really isn’t a surprise that there isn’t a big local beer scene in the islands. Add to that, the fact that the entire country has a population of only 50,000 people, and I guess I should be happy that there actually are two breweries in the Faroes!
Flying into the Faroe Islands, free Foroya Bjor Pilsnar beer included!
The first, dating back to 1888, is Foroya Bjor. For a long time (when prohibition wasn’t on) this was the only option when it came to Faroese beer. In 2010, Okkara Brewing entered the scene and gives Foroya a bit of competition. One thing that caused me some confusion when in the Faroes was that both breweries have some beers with the same name. So if you order a “Classic” or a “Gull” you’ll need to make sure it is from the brewery you wanted.
The national soccer team is partly sponsored by Foroya Bjor, as are most major events (including the very cool G! Music Festival I went to). Okkara on the other hand has a more adventurous palate with some different styles of beer than Foroya Bjor. It’s also more prevalent at some of the fancier, or higher end hotels and restaurants around the islands, such as KOKS. In general though, expect Foroya Bjor to be the only option at most places you visit.
Enjoying a pint of Foroya Bjor Classic beer on Suduroy Island
Now if you find yourself spending a lot of time in the Faroes you’ll either learn to love the local beer, or you will hit up the Rusdrekkasola state-run liquor stores and splurge on some pricey import beers. Actually some imports are not priced too badly. An example of beer prices in the Faroe Islands for small single bottles at the liquor store is $3.50 for Budweiser, $5 for Chimay or $6.50 for Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast.
Comparatively, at a bar in the Faroes you’ll normally pay around $6-8 for a pint of local beer. It is rare to find imported beer in bars, but the simply named Irish Pub in Torshavn offers Guinness and Kilkenny on tap for about $11 a pint. I was unable to visit either local brewery during my time in the islands, but I was able to sample pretty much all of the beers that the two local breweries were producing at the time. Here is my quick run down and review of Faroese beers.
Okkara Portari. The best beer in the Faroe Islands.
Yellow/orange colour with a soapy white layer of head. This was the very first Faroese beer I had, as it was served on the Atlantic Airways flight from Copenhagen to Torshavn. Overall it had a grainy corn aroma and mild sweet taste.
Many of my favourite beers come from Belgium, so discovering what was sold to me as a Belgian blonde ale in the Faroe Islands was a nice surprise! Vår is, indeed, a decent beer. It is not a Belgian blonde ale, but it is a tasty brew. I’d say more of an amber ale, as it is an amber colour with plenty of malts and a bit of sweet spiciness. Nice flavour transition on this one and definitely worth seeking out.
A Euro Dark Lager. Generally when I hear a beer is a “Euro-style” something I cringe a bit, as it means bland and boring. The good stuff doesn’t get continentally generalized. But this was a nice surprise. A good amount of malts with a semi-bitter finish. Not too heavy. Was especially tasty on the beach at the G! Festival.
I found this beauty on a big night out with some locals in Torshavn. During a bit of bar-hopping and chats with drunken Sea Shepherd supporters in town to “save the whales”, we stopped in at Mojo bar, where they had this available. At 8.5% I anticipated this being a sharp, rough alcohol bomb. But it was a pleasant surprise, and one of the better beers from the Faroes. A smooth, amber brew with a malty start and gradually bitter, lingering finish.
Grönur Vedrur – the special beer brewed for the G! Festival
Festival beer! This brew was created specifically for the 2014 G! Festival in the Faroes. Don’t think it is available any longer. With that said, I think it may have just been a re-branded version of one of the other Foroya Bjor beers. It was a 4.6% pilsner that was similar to Gull and 1888, but a bit milder (i.e. watered down). A safe, enjoyable beer for when you’re in for a long session, I did enjoy it multiple times. Nothing memorable, but nothing bad about it either.
This beer gets my personal “best beer from the Faroe Islands” award. Decent body, without being too thick or heavy. I’d classify this as a smoked porter as it has a good amount of smoke added to the roasty, cocoa flavours. Sadly, it took me until the last day of my trip in the Faroe Islands to track this one down, perhaps a good excuse to return one day?
I had this beer twice in the Faroes. Once while eating a Faroese crepe in Gota and once while listening to live music at Sirkus bar in Torshavn. Oddly, another brew with a slightly soapy head. Seems a bit of a trend in the Faroes. This was a pale lager, sweet and crisp. Smoother than the Sterkur Vedrur and comparable to any “popular” lager you’d find in bars in Canada or the US. Actually, better than the mass-produced generics out there.
Nordic Cider is a sweet apple cider from the Faroe Islands
I’m not a big cider drinker, but when options are as limited as they are in the Faroe Islands, I’ll try what I can! Met up with some girls form the Czech Republic who seemed fond of this cider, and I did actually enjoy it. It was exceptionally sweet, not very acidic. Not something I could drink a lot of, but a nice local alternative to beer if you’re looking for other Faroese alcohol options!
I’d class this beer close to an Amber lager. Quite malty and slightly one-dimensional. A bit toffee sweet but thoroughly smooth and easy drinking. I found having this on draft was quite a bit better than from cans. It went very well with a hearty lunch while exploring Suðuroy Island.
Hey look, Okkara has a “Classic” beer just like Foroya Bjor! In the battle of the beers, I give the edge to Okkara as offering up the better Classic/Klassic beer in the Faroe Islands. This beer is another Vienna Lager. You pretty much get pilsners or amber / Vienna lagers in the Faroes most places you go. I’d stick to the Vienna lagers when you can as they are overall more flavourful and enjoyable. This particular beer was a decently malty brew with some bready, caramel flavours. Simplistically nice for the style. Enjoyed this while dining at a surprisingly good Italian restaurant in Torshavn.
The beer names from Okkara are definitely kind of fun, with Vanliga being the most entertaining one to say. As with half og the beers in the Faroes, it’s a light looking brew, without a lot of inspiration. Another 3/5 rating type of beer. Some malts, fairly sweet, slight fruit elements, which was nice. A little more rounded than most pilsners and lagers in the Faroes, but not enough to elevate it to what I would call “good beer’ status. Worth trying, as it could appeal to others more than it appealed to me.
A Vienna Lager, and it was one of my favourite beers from the Faroes. I think it was the best version of the style found in the islands. It was well-balanced, with a nicely malty aroma and sweet/bitter mix that worked from start to finish. Savouring this during a BBQ dinner was a bit more relaxing than drinking it while trying to decipher Faroese questions during a pub trivia night.
An “export beer” of the Faroes. That generally means “slightly higher alcohol content”! I had this while eating lunch at the restaurant near where the Vestmanna Bird Cliff boat tours depart. Secretly I had been hoping for a puffin sandwich, but seems eating puffins in the Faroes is not as common as it once was. The beer itself was actually quite smooth. Perhaps one of the best simple lagers you can find in the Faroe Islands. Unlike some Faroese beers that I found to be less enjoyable in cans than from the tap, this tasted solid in both versions.
Van Bryggj is a refreshing, spiced, spring seasonal beer in the Faroe Islands
Another export beer from the Faroes. This was a seasonal beer, something that Foroya Bjor seems to do quite often. A spiced beer with a sort of herbal and grassy taste. Nicely different from the other pale lagers in the Faroe Islands. I couldn’t pick out any specific spices or herbs, but did find this a good, refreshing beer. I received this beer as a surprise gift from Tollakkur Hansen who guided me around Vagar Island one day.
My first (and only) stout brewed in the Faroe Islands! It was nothing crazy, but definitely solid enough to hold its own against your average stout. Smooth, mild chocolate sweetness. No real bitterness, a bit simple, but a beer I’d happily drink again. Wasn’t very easy to find this one, but a couple of the popular bars in Torshavn have it.
Rinkusteinur beer by Okkara at KOKS Restaurant in Torshavn
A bold, malty amber beer with slightly bitter and sour undertones. Complex and enjoyable. Rinkusteinur became a favourite beer of mine in the Faroe Islands and I’d grab it whenever I was able to find it. While Okkara is gaining in popularity, their beers are not as widely distributed as Foroya Bjor. A funny side note, when I took the picture of this beer, the person who took the photo used for the beer label was sitting beside me at dinner.
Had this at the bar in the Hvonn Brasserie restaurant in Torshavn. Ouch, this one was a miss. While most beers in the Faroes slightly exceeded my expectations (of which I did not expect much), this one was a rough one to finish. At 7.6% it’s is a strong pilsner, but unlike other stronger Faroese beers such as Portari or Sterkru Vedrur, this Trondur beer fails to hide the alcohol at all. A bit sour and cider-like on aroma, the taste was a mess. Seemed like the beer was unfinished. Can’t recommend this one.
Another beer I enjoyed at the Irish Pub in Torshavn. Not the best of the bunch, but not the worst. With a fairly strong sweet “corn” aroma and generic lacklustre taste, it reminded me of of pretty much every lager around the world. On the plus side it wasn’t harsh, didn’t have any bitterness or unpleasing elements to it. It was crisp and clean, just not much in terms of flavour. A beer I likely wouldn’t buy again, but if someone else bought it for me, I’d probably drink it. I did kind of find it funny that both Okkara and Foroya Bjor have beers with the same name, when there are only around a dozen beer options to choose from!
This was an imperial pilsner, clocking in at 7.2%. It was a surprise find at the airport when I was leaving the country. Clear, crisp, with a somewhat bitter bite to it. Far from terrible for a strong beer, but hardly the best that the Faroes had to offer.
Beers and Crepes by the beach in the Faroe Islands
If you are curious about how I decided to visit the Faroe Islands, well it’s been on my list of destination for quite some time. From 2010 to 2013 I ran a “Travel Match” competition on Twitter. It included every single country in the world, and the final match came down to Bhutan & the Faroe Islands. That helped to elevate my interest in the Faroes even more, and thankfully the good people at Nordic Obsession Tours started running tours to the Faroe Islands in 2014, so I joined them for a fun time around the Faroes.
After some frantic voting during the month of January, it is finally time to reveal the winner of #TravelMatch, the Twitter travel competition that ran for nearly three years!
The grande finale, Match #111, had Bhutan facing off against the Faroe Islands in a battle to win it all.
To get to the finale, each of these contenders did what all other countries and travel destinations on Earth couldn’t do – they won all of their previous matches.
The road, or river, to the Travel Match Finale has finally come to an end…
The Travel Match Finalists:
One one side, the Faroe Islands had the most passionate, loyal following of people voting for them for each of their matches. Throughout the course of Travel Match (which started in Spring 2010) the leader of the Faroe Islands charge was @FaroePodcast who took it upon themselves to spread the #TravelMatch word to as many Faroese lovers as possible.
It helped them beat out big players such as France and the Galapagos Islands, among others.
On the other side was the Happiest Nation on Earth. Bhutan actually measures happiness and has become a somewhat hot destination in recent years for travellers and backpackers who can get to this somewhat secluded country. It was a legion of world travellers and support from Bhutan tour companies and @TourismBhutan that got them to the finals. Diverse landscapes and friendly Buddhist culture lured people to vote and beat out powerful destinations such as Antarctica and Tibet.
These Langur Monkeys can hardly contain their excitement to hear who won…
A Travel Match Twist in the Finale
An interesting thing happened during the Travel Match finale. Half way through voting, with the Faroe Islands in the lead, Bhutan started to make a charge. Votes began to pour in for the quiet nation. However they were, for the most part, votes to stop the Faroe Islands from winning, instead of personal votes with a desire to visit Bhutan.
It seems the animal rights activists took up the cause to stop the Faroes from winning because the small nation still participates in a traditional whale hunt.
Such is the way on Twitter though and it wasn’t the first controversial competition to happen during #TravelMatch! Instant access to unlimited knowledge creates interesting conversations on Twitter. So, without further delay…it’s time to say:
Bhutan won the #TravelMatch Finale!
While the Faroe Islands definitely win the prize for most passionate, enthusiastic travellers, it is Bhutan who walked away with the most votes and claims the #TravelMatch title as Most Desired Travel Destination on Twitter. In the end Bhutan garnered more than 65% of the votes in the finale.
Congratulations to both destinations for making it to the final. After 30+ months, 10,000+ votes and 111 total matches it was no small feat making it to the finals! Big thanks to everyone who voted and shared in the fun of the #TravelMatch series.
