Slættanes

Slættanes is an abandoned settlement on Vágar Island in the unbelievable Faroe Islands. In the mid-1950, more than a hundred people lived in the village. The village is located in the most remote part of the island.

Settlers moved away to nearby villages due to no electricity and no road connection. There are still well-preserved houses in the village. These houses are owned by former residents and their descendants.

Visiting Slættanes gives you a unique insight into premodern life in the Faroe Islands. The atmosphere is peaceful with no motor vehicles for miles around.

It requires a full day of hiking to experience the unpopulated Slættanes. There are public hiking paths to the settlement from several villages on Vágar island. The hike will take you 4hrs in each direction.

The easiest hike to Slættanes is from the village of Sørvágur next to the international Vágar Airport. This hiking route from Sørvágur to Slættanes is a public path. The most breathtaking hiking route starts in the village of Gásadalur. This public hiking path requires more effort.

Sailing along Slættanes

When joining a boat tour to the Vestmanna Sea Cliffs, the boat will sail quite close to Slættanes. This gives you an opportunity to experience the unpopulated settlement from the seaside.

As the boat sails along the coastline where the settlement is located, you will see how far from any other populated places these houses are located. You will pass the settlement both when heading from Vestmanna in one of the boast to the sea cliffs north of the settlement and when returning back to Vestmanna.

Mads Fyllgraf

Mads Fyllgraf is an adventurous explorer, photographer, and videographer. Born in western Jylland in Denmark, the fresh waves hitting the shore and the winds blowing in from the north, has seen him indulge in the Faroe Islands. Mads holds a Bachelor in International Hospitality Management and has years of experiences from the outdoor recreation sector.

Go to author