Saksun
Saksun is a very picturesque village found in the northern part of Streymoy island. With a population of 8 people, I’m not even sure I can call it a village!
It’s got turf-roofed houses, a small museum, sheep (of course) and one of the most beautiful natural settings in the Faroe Islands.
Getting there
The village feels very isolated and the journey to it is also very scenic - single-lane road with passing places through a beautiful valley. Saksun is a 13min drive from the main road, and a 45min drive from Tórshavn.
You are not welcome here
As you arrive in Saksun, a sign (one of many) reads:
“Enough! No more tourists trespassing. Police will be called”
I don’t disagree with this message. However, reading this, in this form, I get the feeling that I am unwelcome as a visitor, no matter my intentions. Some people can be respectful.
On one hand, this small village has been overcome with popularity in recent years, a joint effort by the local tourism boards and the rise of social media. Many visitors misbehaved by not respecting the residents’ privacy, getting themselves or flying their drones too close to people’s homes. The locals have had enough of it and that is understandable. There is one particular house that has been getting a lot of unwanted attention - you’ve probably seen a photo of it already.
On the other hand, this situation became a case of the few that have ruined it for the many. Today, all visitors are made to feel unwelcome, or at least that is the impression that is conveyed through the aggressive signage, the verbal abuse, and - the latest addition - an entrance fee for walking down to the beach. The signs could be friendlier. The local man patrolling the land who just cannot stand tourists visiting his village could be more understanding (online reports from others point out that he is very hostile). Even with all the fencing and signs, some people arriving in the village might not realise that, in order to get down to the beach, you need to drive back and along a different road, so they probably think it is ok to try to find a more obvious path - something that would be a minor deal in most other countries. But not in Faroe Islands.
Hikes
The most popular hike is an easy one that can only be done at low tide. Saksun is set at the edge of a tidal lagoon that fills up at high tide. At low tide, you can walk along the shore around the headlandto a beach that opens up to the ocean. Make sure to check the tide times before you visit.
A fee of 75 DKK per person (around £9) has been introduced recently for accessing this path - there is a credit card machine and even turnstiles (which look really out of place). This is a fee for walking down a path that nature created to a beach - yet another case of taking advantage of visitors under the pretext of future maintenance work. A parking fee would be more sensible than an entrance fee to an unmanned natural landmark with no facilities, even if the cost ends up being the same. That said, at least this fee is reasonable compared to other places around the islands such as Trælanípa. When we visited in 2018, there wasn’t any fee in either location.
You can also go past the turf-roofed houses and follow a trail taking you closer to the waterfall, which you can see from the base.
Another popular hike takes you all the way to the village of Tjørnuvík. This is quite long though (about 7km), so probably only works as a one-way journey. Given that most people drive to Saksun, which is not connected by public transport, this hike probably makes most sense as part of an organized tour that includes transfers.
More in Faroe Island
One of the most remote villages in Faroe Islands