Kalsoy Island Travel Guide

Kalsoy Island is located in the northern part of the Faroe Islands. The west side of the island is made of an impressive black basalt wall. The eastern side is green with verdant slopes. The island stretches over 18 km (11 miles). Here you will find four tiny settlements nestled in beautiful valleys.

The isle boasts 13 mountain peaks along the narrow island from south to north. Roads and four different tunnels connect the villages on the island where you will find 11 valleys. The island offers tranquillity and ultimate relaxation in breathtaking surroundings.

Only 80 people live on Kalsoy Island. The most populous place is Húsar with just more than 30 people. These are the four settlements on Kalsoy Island:

• Syðradalur
• Húsar
• Mikladalur
• Trøllanes

The most visited settlement on Kalsoy Island is Mikladalur. Trøllanes, the northernmost settlement, is also a popular destination among travellers.

How to get to Kalsoy Island

You need to cross the fjord Kalsoyarfjørður in order to get to Kalsoy Island. Klaksvík is the gateway to Kalsoy Island. The ferry to Kalsoy departs from this main town in the northern part of the isles. The ferry arrives at the southernmost village on the island, Syðradalur.

There is only one ferry connection to the island. The ferry SAM sails between Klaksvík on Borðoy Island and Syðradalur on Kalsoy Island. There are several daily ferries sailing from the town Klaksvík to the small harbour on the southern end of Kalsoy Island.

The Kalsoy Ferry

The ferry SAM has eight departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and sails less frequently on the other days of the week. Pre-book Kalsoy Ferry Tickets in order to secure yourself spots on the ferry.

The Kalsoy ferry timetable is available in English. There is a summer schedule and a winter schedule. The ferry has the same frequency throughout the year but some departure times differ from summer to winter.

The Kalsoy ferry has a limited capacity of 12 vehicles. Due to the smallness of the ferry, it is always recommended to leave your car in Klaksvík and explore Kalsoy Island by foot. There are busses on Kalsoy Island when you disembark the ferry.

The ferry sign says Syðradalur. Make sure to be at the harbour in due time. There are shops right next to the ferry port where you can grab a cup of coffee while waiting for the ferry to depart.

Getting around the Island

There is a single highway that goes from one end of the island to the other. Four tunnels link the four different settlements on the island together. All tunnels are one lane but totally safe. 

From Syðradalur, you can drive north along the east side of the island with Kalsoyarfjørður fjord on your right-hand side along the route. You will experience the two islands with the steepest mountains in the Faroe Islands as you drive – Kalsoy Island and Kunoy Island.

Kalsoy has two famous sights one being the legendary Kallur lighthouse in the most northern part of the island. The other popular attraction is the Seal Woman or Kópakonan in the hamlet Mikladalur. The highest peak on Kalsoy Island is the beautiful Nestindar mountain which elevates up to 788 meters (2585 feet).

Bus Route on the Island

The Kalsoy Island tunnels are known for their narrow lanes. All four tunnels were constructed for the locals who have used them ever since. Now with more travellers wanting to visit, people not used to narrow tunnel feel more comfortable leaving the driving to others.

If you do not fancy narrow tunnels, you can park your car in the fishing town Klaksvík, which is situated on the nearby Borðoy Island. From here you can take the ferry to Kalsoy Island and then the public bus to the four small villages on the island.

The Kalsoy bus operates with a summer and a winter schedule. Tours are done more often during the summer months from May to August.

There are also some Northern Islands Day Tours that include transport from Tórshavn. There is also a tour where you can jump on a guided bus when disembarking the island’s ferry connection. A local driver will then carry you form one end of the island to the other.

James Bond Died on Kalsoy Island

This place is so unique that scenes in the James Bond movie No Time To Die were filmed on the island. The Bond character is a cultural icon and for the first time in the spy’s history gets killed off. It all happens when 007 stands on the Kallur promontory on the very northernmost part of the island. 

All Faroe Islands James Bond sceneries were filmed in the northernmost village Trøllanes and around Kallur Lighthouse. The villain lair in the James Bond movie is located in this part of the island. It is the small village Trøllanes, which is transformed into villain Lyutsifer Safin‘s base.

Kalsoy Island is now an incredibly historic Bond location. James Bond stands at the edge where Kallur Lighthouse is located when he is enveloped by missiles and dies. You can stand on the spot where James Bond died when joining the Official James Bond Tour of Kalsoy Island. The tour will take you through the locations used in the movie. You will experience jagged cliffs dropping into the sea and unrivalled views of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Hiking to the Kallur Lighthouse is the most popular thing to do on the island. That said, visiting Kalsoy Island is a great experience also when you skip the hike. There are so many other beautiful spots that will keep you hooked all day. From the statue Kópakonan in Mikladalur to the zig-zagging road to Trøllanes.