The Puffins of Mykines
2022 UPDATE:
Unfortunately, it appears that the path to the lighthouse will remain closed for the entire summer season of 2022. This is due to a landslide that occurred across the path in October 2021, and the ongoing risk of more landslides happening. For this reason, it is only allowed to go up to the memorial monument. The local tourism board refers to this landmark as if anyone that isn’t from the Faroe Islands would know where that is. But I’ve done the work for you. These are the coordinates for the monument:
As you can see, this point is pretty much at the start of the hike. There is still a good chance of seeing puffins, but clearly it won’t be as good, because the area with most puffins lies beyond this point.
Despite the fact that you can only hike about 10% of the way, it appears that the hiking fee remains unchanged. This has recently gone up in price, and is currently 250 DKK per person (which is really quite high). Other hikes will be available, it is said…
One of the best things you can do in Faroe Island is a day-trip to the island of Mykines, the westernmost island of the Faroese archipelago. Mykines has stunning scenery, a charming village, and a lighthouse, but is most famous for its puffin population. 125,000 puffin pairs nest on the island during the breeding season and everyone wants to see them.
There are two ways to get to Mykines - ferry or helicopter.
Getting there by ferry
The Mykines ferry departs from Sørvágur and tickets can be booked online here.
This ferry carries passengers only, as there are no cars on Mykines. The price is very reasonable - just 60 DKK (around £7). The journey takes around 50 minutes, and you’ll be treated with great views of Vágar and Mykines along the way.
You really must book this ferry well in advance (I’m talking months before) - the earlier, the better. For day-trippers, the ferry departs daily at 10:20 from Sørvágur and returns at 17:05 from Mykines. The maximum capacity is 60, and these seats sell out weeks in advance. All it takes is a few tour groups wanting to visit Mykines on the same day and poof, they’re gone. Because ferry tickets come with free cancellation to 48 hours in advance, there is really no reason not to book them in advance, for peace of mind.
If the ferry is sold out or your booking ends up getting cancelled due to bad weather, you have two options. Either watch out for any last-minute cancellations (some people double-book as backup in case of bad weather) or take the extra ferry which departs around 12:00. Note that the additional ferry, if organised, costs 150 DKK (2.5 times more expensive!). Know that cancellation does not give you any priority for the next ferries - everyone needs to buy a new ticket. Yikes.
Getting there by helicopter
That’s right - you can get to the island of Mykines by helicopter, and it’s cheaper than you may think. The journey takes around 10 mins and the cost is just 145 DKK, which is around £17!
The helicopter from Vágar to Mykines leaves the airport at:
10:15 on Monday (but not in June, July, August!) OR
10:15 on Wednesday OR
10:15 and 15:00 on Friday OR
12:20 on Sunday
and back the same way.
You can find the full timetable here
It is not possible to book a return journey by helicopter on the same day (so you need to either combine with ferry or spend the night). Unless you are spending the night in Mykines, the 10:15 outbound journeys make most sense with regards to timing.
There are 12 seats available on a helicopter. It used to be the case that the helicopter seats were released at midnight exactly 2 months in advance. This has now been reduced to 7 days, which should determine many people to book the ferry instead (the ferry is likely to be sold out already 7 days prior). For any visitor to the islands, the 10:15 helicopter journey from Vágar to Mykines is a gamble. Having booked tickets for this route myself, I can confirm that they sell out in minutes - other routes are less popular. Even if you managed to secure the tickets, the helicopter may end up cancelled in the case of adverse weather. If the heli goes ahead, do make sure that the ferry does as well, to avoid getting stuck on the island.
Plans can change
I’ve already talked a bit too much about cancellations, and that’s because in Faroe Islands, this can happen quite often, even in summer (due to dense fog or strong wind). Things should go according to plan, but there is a possibility that they won’t - and you just have to accept that.
When we visited in 2018, our plan was to fly out by heli, return by ferry. We actually managed to secure 2 seats on the helicopter, however it was cancelled due to fog - lots of it, as you can see in the pictures. The ferry went ahead, but since we hadn’t booked it, we ended up on the second ferry that was more expensive and departed later. We still had enough time to make it to the lighthouse and back though.
When to visit
To see the puffins, you must visit during the summer months May to August (they might be gone by September). The ferry only runs from May 1st to August 31st, and that overlaps with the puffin’s annual routine, and determines when people can visit Mykines. It’s also when the weather is best - though still unreliable.
It’s safest to plan the journey to Mykines towards the start of your trip for two reasons. Mainly, if the ferry gets cancelled, you can try to reschedule for later - if there is availability. Absolute worst-case, if you get stuck on the island somehow, at least you’re not missing your return flight home.
The village
Of course, the puffins are the main attraction on Mykines, but the village itself is also quite lovely. It’s got the traditional turf-roofed houses, painted in black or red, a cafe, a little souvenir shop and even some accommodation options for those that want to spend the night.
Make sure to leave some time at the end to just have a wander around. But start with the hike, to make sure you are back in time for the return ferry - you don’t want to remain stuck on the island!
Hiking fee
To access to the trail leading out of the village and towards Mykineshólmur, you have to pay a hiking fee. There is no way around it. If you want to see the lighthouse and the puffins (the reason everyone apart from locals travels to Mykines), you need to be on that trail. The fee can be paid online using the same website where you book the ferry. This can be booked anytime, as there is no limit on how many fees can be collected - visitor numbers are already controlled by the ferry.
The fee per person used to be 100 DKK (£12), but this was increased to 250 DKK (£30) in 2020 - which is on the high side even for Faroe Islands and is a very steep increase year-on-year. However, unlike other places on the island which also charge a fee, Mykines is a protected Ramsar area, a breeding site for many seabirds during the summer months. I do appreciate that visitors are still allowed access, and the Mykines experience as a whole is still worth that higher price.
Guided tours
Local authorities recommend hiring a local guide to accompany you on the hike, however know that this is not compulsory. In general, hiking tours are encouraged in Faroe Islands pretty much everywhere, but they are quite expensive, and often unnecessary. A guide would add an extra 1000 DKK (£116) or so to the cost of the trip.
I’m all for supporting the local community, but booking the ferry and following the trail around Mykines is very straight-forward. The option is there, however you don’t need a guide.
The views
Everything was covered in a thick layer of fog when we visited - and this was both a good and a bad thing. On one hand, it really added to the atmosphere and everything looked so moody. On the other hand, we couldn’t see too far ahead, so no beautiful views.
The view of the lighthouse with the entire of the Mykines island in the background is quite spectacular - it’ll be the first thing you see when you look up Mykines. My picture below looks nothing like it.
Puffins
You’ll start to see more and more puffins as you near the footbridge between Mykines and Mykineshólmur. There is an area just before the bridge with lots of puffin burrows and I think that is probably the best spot. You get really close to the puffins as you walk along the path. It’s a great place for photography, have that telephoto lens ready.
Visit with care! First and foremost, don’t wander off the marked trails, because you might step on a puffin burrow. If you are a parent with a kid that might get a little too excited, watch out for that.
There are wardens around the place that make sure people behave responsibly. They don’t like it when you linger too much in one place, which can be a bit annoying I suppose, but just try to be discreet with your birdwatching and photography.
Puffin Facts
Puffins are certainly some of the most photogenic birds out there, but they are also quite fascinating creatures. Here are a few facts about them.
A puffin can live up to 20 years and will spend most of his life on the open sea. The waterproof feathers allow them to stay warm in cold waters, and they can dive up to 60m!
Puffins are skilled at fishing. Once the eggs have hatched around July-August time, there will be lots of puffins flying around with a beakful of scrumptious Atlantic herring to feed their chicks.
Puffins are romantic and family-oriented birds. At 3-5 years old, they chose a partner to mate for life (aww). Every year the couple joins the colony on the mainland and lays one single egg per year in a burrow they dug up. Both parents take turns to incubate the egg.
More in Faroe Islands
One of the most remote villages in Faroe Islands