Mykines Island Travel Guide

Mykines (pronounced ‘Mee-chi-nes) lies off the west coast of Faroe Islands’ main islands. The island is blessed with the largest puffin colony in the archipelago.

Visitors to Mykines Island will see thousands of puffins during the summer season from early May to end of August. Mykines Island is the puffin safe haven when they are nesting during the summer months.

Visit the Faroe Islands between May and August and you have a puffin guarantee. The North Atlantic Puffin leaves the Faroe Islands in early September.

There are some 70 houses on Mykines Island. Only 13 people live on the island throughout the year.

On Mykines Island visitors can walk along the impressive rocky coastline with views of the nearby Mykineshólmur Islet. You can see that the islet has been exposed to the full force of the North Atlantic Ocean.

The islet is the westernmost tip of the Faroe Islands. Seals are regular visitors when hauling themselves on the skerries here.

Explore Mykines Island

Mykines Island rises high from the sea on all sides and can only be reached by boat in fair weather. Knúkur is the highest peak reaching 560 metres (1837 feet) above sea level providing a panoramic view of the island.

​The island is 10,28 km2 and it stretches 7 kilometres (4,3 miles) from east to west. You will notice that the island is fairly narrow from north to south.

You will get to the island by boat from the village Sørvágur on Vágar Island. Have a look at the Mykines Shuttle Boat which will take you to the island smooth and easy.

There is also a government founded helicopter connection, which is made for the locals. Mykines Island is a car-free island so boats to the island only take passengers.

The only way to see the island is by foot. As the island is really steep and surrounded by lots of skerries, submerged rocks, and sea stacks, there is only one place on the island where boats can port. The small pier lies near the only settlement on the island. Take a look at this Mykines harbour live webcam. Boats can enter the island when the ocean conditions in the harbour are calm.

Remote as it is, visiting the island is always an amazing experience. People come to the island to enjoy its awe-inspiring nature, to soak in the atmosphere, and to explore the quietness of the place.

Birds and Solitude

The wildlife is immense during the summer months. This is the time of the year when you see everything from puffins, common murre, northern fulmar, black-legged kittiwake to northern gannet.

See guided tours to Mykines Island

Most houses in the sole settlement come with grass on the roof. The locals make sure to maintain them well. Everything about this place is truly special and for many people Mykines Island is the very highlight of their summer experience in the Faroe Islands.