KALSOY, Faroe Islands (AP) — small faroe islands This island in the North Atlantic Ocean may not be suitable for travelers with vertigo, seasickness, or a fear of confined spaces. There are crumbling cliffs, sudden strong winds, and hillsides so steep that even a sheep would fall.
Three tourists went missing over two days in September. Police told media that the last time it fell on the scene was near a famous waterfall that plunges into the sea. Please be careful, a shaken staff member at the entrance to the site said days later. “come back.”
Highly dramatic landscapes come with risks. the end of james bond In “No Time to Die”. Currently, the Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory. Denmarklike greenlandis trying to accommodate the growing number of travelers drawn to bird watching, adventurous dining, and “cool vacations” as global temperatures rise.
Once upon a time, hard-footed residents hiked mountain passes or steered wooden boats onto rocky shores just to visit church or visit each other. Unlike tourists, they know when to stay away from hiking trails along unprotected cliffs and how disorienting a sudden fog can be.
“If you make a mistake here, nature usually wins,” said a food truck vendor at a popular spot.
Learning its lessons while exploring the Faroe Islands is easier than ever. The Faroe Islands have so far been largely free from the commercialization of ziplines in neighboring countries. iceland.
A growing network of undersea tunnels, including what is being called the world’s first undersea roundabout, helps connect 18 islands. Rugged isolation gives way to smooth highways, and Airbnb has hundreds of listings among a population of more than 50,000 people.
The new co-chairs of arctic council has further increased its global recognition and continues to make tremendous progress towards that goal. first soccer world cup.
“Closed for maintenance”
The authorities are trying to protect the Faroe Islands from tourism while at the same time encouraging it. The annual “Closed for Maintenance” program began in 2019, with selected volunteers from around the world helping with tasks such as erosion control efforts and trail maintenance. The National Museum then launched a project to protect land and biodiversity.
And this year, the tourism board introduced self-navigating tours that take tourists from the muddy lanes of the most popular spots to lesser-known areas.
The tour route will be revealed online as we progress. It sends users to a seaside village where a popular music festival is held, then to a small botanical garden, a monument to a deadly shipwreck along a fjord, and a small woodland plantation enjoyed by the Faroese on treeless islands.
The last stretch was along a single-lane road with a lack of shoulders and sometimes no guardrails between drops to the sea. Sheep roamed the area, another reason for visitors to remain alert in the stunning surroundings. (There is a police phone number to call if a driver crashes.)
Travelers who love the outdoors can easily spend a week in the Faroe Islands biking, fishing, trying out the new sauna scene, eating locally farmed salmon sushi, and buying a newly knitted wool sweater. In the summer, boat tours include music concerts in sea caves and puffin viewing.
The winter has been harsh, and a storm two years ago tore off the roof of an old house next to the Associated Press seaside rental cottage in Sidradarur, a ferry crew said. However, interest in the island has increased and the peak tourist season has begun to extend into October.
Fierce wind and confused sheep
Villages, especially in the wilder northern regions, may have only a few residents. There are few businesses for tourists outside of the capital Tórshavn, but the village of Jegów has a cozy guesthouse and cafe, and the village of Fgrafijordur has an attractive main street and visitor centre. English is widely spoken and used.
Webcams are available from popular locations, so be prepared for rain as the weather can be changeable.
And beware of the instructions and even reprimands that some Faroese post for tourists who err on the side.
A sign on the church in the village of Saxon said: “Due to bad manners and lack of tranquility at the graveyard, the cemetery is closed.”
“Do not wash your shoes in the sink!” reads a sign at the ferry terminal on Kalsoy Island. An employee at the island’s unexpected Thai restaurant estimated that about 200 tourists a day descended on the island’s often-photographed lighthouse this summer, a sign of the small but growing immigrant population.
Official Visit Faroe Islands isn’t holding back either, as it balances the appeal of a growing tourism industry with its responsibility to warn travelers. In a country with an economy based on fishing, finding balance is a long-standing practice and requires friendly relations with a range of countries, including Russia and China.
The Visit Faroe Islands site declares a “storm” but adds: “Ferocious winds can overturn cars, blow off bicycles and overturn anything unsecured, including wheelbarrows and sheep.”
