Saksun

Saksun is a remote little village on Streymoy Island in the wild Faroe Islands. The village is famous for its unique location placed above a jaw-dropping lagoon. Mountains here are incredible and so are the many waterfalls.

A lovely panoramic view of a lagoon surrounded by steep mountains is the top attraction in Saksun. The lagoon used to form a good natural harbour. The area was later blocked with sand during a heavy storm.

The sand filled lagoon draws people from near and far to admire its beauty. The lagoon fills up with seawater from the North Atlantic Ocean twice every day.

There is a reason why Saksun shows up no matter where you look for the Faroe Islands. The settlement has an untouched and serene feeling to it. There are 11 people living in the village and even more waterfalls flowing down the steep hillsides.

Saksun is a favourite day trip destination among locals and travellers alike. At low tide, locals love to visit the tiny village to walk along the shore from the lagoon and to the beachfront.

The Turf-roofed Church

The village includes a pure white and turf-roofed church. There is also a small village museum open in summer. In the small Dúvugarðar farm in Saksun, you will find some lovely turf houses surrounded by stunning waterfalls along the mountain sides. The farm is protected by Faroe Islands National Museum.

​The spectacular atmosphere in Saksun charms everybody whenever you visit the village. Saksun’s amphitheatrical position around the natural harbour is exceptionally beautiful. Experiencing Saksun is all about a feeling of remoteness that is difficult to define.

There is a hiking opportunity from Saksun to the nearby village Tjørnuvík. The hike is done along the old mountain trail between Dúvugarðar and Tjørnuvík. There are cairns along the route to guide you.

Getting to Saksun

You will reach Saksun when heading in a western direction for 10 minutes from the village Hvalvík. You will drive through a long valley, Saksunardalur.

The road from Hvalvík is single tracked. There are lots of pull-in points for dealing with any oncoming traffic. On the last part of the drive, a stream runs through a deep ravine into an almost circular pool which lies in the deep shallow of towering crags.

Beyond this natural amphitheatre, the narrow ravine continues between precipitous walls, carrying the stream to the sea more than a kilometre away. You will obtain splendid views of the sight from Dúvugarðar with its turf roofed houses.

The village is a 50 minutes drive from the capital, Tórshavn. All roads are in good shape and in use throughout the year.

Services in Saksun

This sparely populated settlement on Streymoy Island is very small. Keep this in mind before you get there.

• Grocery store: No
• Café: No
• Public toilet: Yes
• Parking lot: Yes

Take a look at tours & activities starting in Saksun. The mountains surrounding this place are impressive and so are the views.

Fríða Weihe

Fríða Weihe is Faroese born and bred. She grew up in Tórshavn, the capital in the Faroe Islands. Graduated from Glasir Tórshavn College within Marketing Management, Fríða did her internship at Guide to Faroe Islands. Fríða has since then continued working within travel and tourism ensuring a high quality all way through.

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