Photo by Tomáš Malík on Pexels. Three puffins on the grassy cliffs of Mykines.
Most islands in the Faroes are known for what you can do on them. Mykines is known for who lives on it. The westernmost of the Faroe Islands has only a handful of people and, for a few months each summer, a very large number of puffins. They nest in burrows in the turf, stand about on the cliff edges, and are so unbothered by walkers that you can watch them from a few metres away. If you have ever wanted to see an Atlantic puffin properly, this is one of the best places in Europe to do it.
It is also a place that makes you work for it. The ferry is small, the weather decides whether it runs, and the best views involve a hike. This guide covers what Mykines is, when to go, how to get there from Tórshavn and the airport, and what to expect on the walk to the lighthouse.
What is Mykines?
Mykines (pronounced roughly “MITCH-ih-ness”) is a small, steep island at the far western edge of the archipelago. It has one village, also called Mykines, on the eastern side, and very few permanent residents. In summer many of the houses are used as holiday homes, and the village has a small guesthouse and a café that serves visitors in season.
Beyond the village the island rises into green, treeless slopes and sea cliffs. At its western end a short footbridge crosses a gap to the islet of Mykineshólmur, where a lighthouse stands on the far side. That walk, out past the cliffs and over the bridge, is what most visitors come for.
Mykines is also a reminder of how the wider archipelago works. Our complete travel guide to the Faroe Islands explains the layout of the main islands, and Mykines sits at the end of that chain, reached from Vágar, the island with the airport.
The puffins: when to go
The Atlantic puffin is a summer visitor. The birds spend the winter far out at sea and come ashore to breed, so a trip outside the season means no puffins at all. As a rough guide, they arrive in spring, nest through early summer and are gone by around mid-August, so late May to July is the sweet spot. Several operators and guides give the main visiting season as May to August, which also matches when the ferry normally runs.
Puffins are not the only reason to look up. Mykines also has other seabirds, including gannets, fulmars and guillemots, and the cliffs are noisy and busy through the summer. Bring binoculars if you have them, but the puffins themselves often let you get close enough that a phone camera does the job.
A few simple rules apply. Keep to the path, do not walk over burrows, and do not chase or crowd the birds. The ground is riddled with nests, and a careless step can collapse one.
How to get to Mykines
1. Reach Vágar
Mykines is reached from Sørvágur, a village on Vágar, the island where Vágar Airport sits. If you are based in Tórshavn, the drive takes around an hour, using one of the undersea tunnels that link Streymoy and Vágar. Our guide to the top things to do in Tórshavn is a good way to fill the days around the trip.
2. Take the ferry or helicopter
A small passenger ferry crosses from Sørvágur to Mykines in roughly 45 minutes and usually runs twice a day in season. Fares are modest compared with most Nordic transport, but the ferry is not part of any multi-day transport pass, and the timetable and seasons are worth checking close to your date. The crossing can be rough, and sailings are cancelled when the sea is too heavy, which happens fairly often. A helicopter service also links Vágar and Mykines, though schedules are limited.
The practical advice is simple: do not make Mykines your last day. Keep a buffer so that a cancelled sailing means trying again the next morning rather than missing the island entirely.
3. Or join a tour
Many operators run day trips from Tórshavn that handle the drive, tickets and often a guide on the island. It is the easiest option if you do not have a car, and a guide can point out puffin burrows and explain where the safe walking line runs.
The walk to the lighthouse
From the village, a path climbs out of the settlement and follows the island’s grassy back towards the west. You pass sheep, burrows and cliff-edge viewpoints with puffins on both sides, then descend to the footbridge to Mykineshólmur and the lighthouse beyond. Allow several hours for the round trip, longer if you stop for photographs, and expect to share the path with sheep as well as birds.
There are things to know before setting off:
- The paths are steep and exposed in places. Wear proper walking shoes and take waterproof layers. The weather can change within the hour.
- A hiking fee applies beyond the village. This helps maintain the paths and manage visitor numbers. Check the current amount and how to pay before you travel.
- Take food and water. Services in the village are limited and may close outside the season.
- Mind the cliffs. There are few barriers. In fog or high wind, turn back.
If you enjoy remote coastal walking in general, the same planning logic applies as on our list of the best hiking trails in Scandinavia: start early, watch the forecast and treat the weather as the boss.
Puffins and the Faroese table
Puffins have a long history in Faroese life beyond tourism. Seabirds were traditionally part of the local diet, and some Faroese still hunt them under regulation. It is a topic that divides visitors, and it is worth understanding as part of the islands’ food culture rather than ignoring it. Fermented and air-dried foods, lamb and fish remain the mainstay of traditional cooking, much as in the cold-climate cooking you can read about in our piece on Þorramatur, the Icelandic midwinter feast.
Planning tips
- Book accommodation early. Beds on Mykines itself are very limited and fill up in season. Many people stay in Tórshavn or on Vágar instead.
- Pack for four seasons. Wind, rain, mist and sunshine can all arrive on the same walk.
- Do not rely on mobile coverage. Download offline maps and tell someone your plan.
- Combine it with Vágar. The waterfall at Múlafossur and the lake Sørvágsvatn are close to the ferry departure point and make a good half-day on the way in or out.
If wildlife is the draw, you may also like our look at visiting Svalbard, where the wildlife is on a much larger and colder scale.
Is Mykines worth the effort?
Yes, with the right expectations. It is not a place for a rigid itinerary. Some visitors get a clear, bright day and dozens of puffins at arm’s length, and others spend the day on the quay watching a cancelled ferry. But the combination of seabirds, sea cliffs and an end-of-the-world lighthouse is hard to match, and it gives the Faroe Islands a very different character from the busier, greener islands to the east.
Go between late May and July, keep a spare day, watch where you step, and Mykines will probably be the part of your trip that you remember longest.
