Faroe Islands: Tidal Currents, Turf Roofs and a Million Seabirds

Field notes

Halfway between Norway and Iceland, the Faroe Islands are an 18-island archipelago of about 55,000 people. There are no proper beaches; the islands are basalt cliffs rising from the North Atlantic, with turf-roofed houses clinging to green valleys and millions of seabirds — puffins, gannets, kittiwakes — nesting on the ledges between May and August. Tórshavn, the capital, is one of the smallest capitals in the world, with a pretty old town called Tinganes and a thriving café scene.

Why go: It is Iceland's quieter cousin. Fewer than 100,000 tourists a year, and most of them come for two weeks. Hikes to places like Drangarnir (a pair of sea stacks connected by a rope bridge) require a local guide and good weather; reward is solitude on basalt cliffs that look like nothing else on Earth.

How to get there: Atlantic Airways flies daily from Copenhagen (2 hours) and from Edinburgh and Reykjavik seasonally. The new Eysturoy tunnel (sub-sea, with a roundabout in the middle) has changed road travel.

Practical notes: Accommodation is the bottleneck. Book 6+ months ahead for summer. Cash is rarely needed; cards are universal.