Updated 2021
The island of Kalsoy in the Faroe Islands is home to the Kallur Lighthouse hike - and this guide has absolutely everything you need to know to plan your visit!
One of the experiences we were most excited about on our seven day Faroe Islands road trip was the hike to the Kallur Lighthouse.
Situated on the northern island of Kalsoy, and home to only 150 or so residents spread across four villages, this manageable hike brings travellers to some of the Faroe Islands’ most iconic landscapes. Due to the logistics of arriving there on a day trip - it is only accessible via a ferry ride from Klaksvik - this means that only a certain number of people are able to do the hike each day, so you have to be prepared in advance to take your place.
From how to get to Kalsoy with the Klaksvík ferry, to where to get the best views and what to pack, here’s our definitive guide to Kalsoy island and its beautiful Kallur Lighthouse hike.
The Kalsoy Lighthouse Hike Essentials
Distance | 3 miles (round-trip)
Time | The hike itself can be done in a couple of hours, there and back but allow 8 hours for the round-trip from Klaksvik inc. waiting time, ferry, hike, and car transport.
Difficulty | The hike itself is very manageable for all, especially in comparison to other hikes on the Faroes, with a grassy and dirt trail leading the way and no real challenges. The weather conditions do however present the greatest risk; strong winds at the hike summit are treacherous and may prevent access to the lighthouse and edges whilst a day with heavy fog may make the route inaccessible.
Equipment | See end of post.
How to Get to Kalsoy from Klaksvík
There are no undersea tunnels to reach Kalsoy, instead, you’ll need to hop on one of the several daily ferry departures from Klaksvik to Syðradalur. Just be sure to arrive nice and early, as the popularity of this hike and the limitations in vehicle number (more on this later) mean that it is not uncommon for it to be oversubscribed.
It is for this reason that we will also be covering public transport options to Kalsoy (the ferry takes foot passengers as well as cars); whilst having your own vehicle is infinitely easier, it is certainly possible to manage a day trip here without a car.
Okay, first things first: getting to Klaksvik. This small town has a number of accommodation options, so if you have complete flexibility on where you stay, this is a great shout. Alternatively, many of you will opt instead to visit Kalsoy from Torshavn so we have included those transport options below:
Torshavn to Klaksvik by car | Nice and simple, with a journey time of around 1 hr and 20 minutes. Just ensure you leave your accommodation with plenty of time to spare!
Torshavn to Klaksvik by bus | There is a regular service (the #400) between the capital and Klaksvik, with departures at least once every couple of hours. Journey time is around 1.5 hours, and whilst you can pay for a single ticket, if you plan on using public transport a lot to explore the Faroe Islands we’d recommend investing in a four-day (500 DKK) or seven-day pass (700 DKK).
The ferry
The morning departures for the #56 ferry (see location here on Google Maps) are 06:40, 08:00, and 10:00; in order to make the most of your time on Kalsoy, you ideally need to make one of these. For our own trip, we arrived at 09:00 thinking that we would be the first in line for the ferry, only to discover six cars already waiting; by 09:15 the car allowance for the ferry was fully subscribed.
For vehicles, there are three queuing lines, and the ferry loads via the first line first, second line etc. When you arrive to the harbour, simply pull up in the queue which isn’t yet complete, rather than creating a new one.
Tickets are purchased as you board with the vehicle, so ensure that you have cash ready to hand over.
The fees are as follows:
Standard car or van plus the driver (<5m) | DKK160 (£19 / €21.5)
Van, trucks and campers (5-7m) | DKK370 (£44 / €49.5)
Additional passengers | DKK40 per person. (£4.75 / €5.5)
Foot Passengers | DKK40 per person. (£4.75 / €5.5)
These are return ticket prices, so ensure you keep your ticket to return. For further details of pricing, including other vehicle types, see this link.
As space will become very tight if the ferry has a full compliment of vehicles, it’s recommended that all passengers - except the driver, obviously - get out after buying the tickets, and before loading up the car.
A member of the ferry crew will give you very clear guiding instructions about exactly where he wants you to park up (don’t worry, it’s completely normal to question how the hell all these vehicles are going to squeeze on to one small white and green ferry - these guys are experts at the great Faroese jigsaw puzzle!), and just how close he wants you to get to the other vehicles; in a rental car this can be a wee bit stressful as it feels like a bump or scrape isn’t too far away. Remember to pop your wing mirrors in!
Once you’ve parked up (the driver can choose to stay in the vehicle or get out), it’s an enjoyable twenty minute ferry ride over to Kalsoy. You can either stay outside or go down the stairs to the small seating area where there’s a coffee / tea machine.
See the full timetable for the 56 ferry. Do note that departure times do vary throughout the year, with summer naturally offering more comprehensive timetable.
How to get to Trøllanes | The beginning of the Kallur Lighthouse hike
As mentioned above and across our Faroe Islands articles, getting around this small archipelago is much easier with a car, however the presence of a surprisingly good bus network means that it is absolutely possible to do this hike (and explore Kalsoy) by utilising public transport. We will cover both options here.
By Car
Upon approach to Syðradalur ferry terminal on Kalsoy, the driver should make their way back to the vehicle (watch out not to ding a neighbouring car when opening the door); other passengers will walk off the ferry first and then cars will be guided out.
From here, it’s a lovely 16 kms drive (20 minutes) along a single narrow winding road which presents the Faroes road trip experience in microcosm; a smattering of picturesque villages, views over the rolling hills and inky waters, sheep stops, and terrifying tunnels.
If you haven’t yet driven through a Faroese tunnel before visiting the Kalsoy island, then you are starting off with some of the creepiest ones you’ll find on all the islands! Older than many others found across the Faroes - such as the one which leads to the hidden village of Gásadalur - the two tunnels you’ll traverse are wet, dark, unfeasibly straitened, long (one is over 2 kms!) and full of potential nightmares for someone worried about their car rental deposit!
Read Next | 12 Things To Know Before Driving in the Faroe Islands
After you’ve dealt with the tunnels, it’s a serpentine slither down curves to the village of Trøllanes, which marks the start point of your Kalsoy Lighthouse hike.
There is a car park in Trøllanes with space for around 8 vehicles (if everyone parks properly and considerately rather than leaving acres of space between vehicles); those of you who paid attention earlier will note that with a full ferry of tourists, space can become a little limited, although we think this shouldn’t be a major concern.
In the car park area, there is a relatively new public toilet (much appreciated) and some information about the island.
Update 2021 | A reader has informed us that there is now two carparks at Trøllanes, the one we mention above, and another about 100 metres or so before you reach the village, on the right.
By Public Transport
More of a mini-van than traditional bus, there is a rather good service (#506) which connects the ferry terminal in Syðradalur with the rest of the island of Kalsoy. This is usually timed to coincide with ferry arrival times and will be waiting at the terminal for foot passengers.
Trøllanes - the start point of the hike - is the final stop on the route, with the bus calling in at the other popular sites on the island first.
On the return journey, the bus is again designed to coincide with the ferry but do ensure you allow enough time to get on it!
A single ticket costs 20 DKK (you can also use the multi-day bus pass if you have one) and the full bus timetable can be found here.
Do note that there is a different timetable in the winter vs the summer.
Hike to Kallur Lighthouse
On a clear day, the route from the car park towards the lighthouse is quite self explanatory (i.e. walk up towards the lighthouse). However, it isn’t uncommon in the Faroe Islands for fog to descend from nowhere, making distinguishing a sheep trail from the actual trail very difficult.
So, to make things easier, here’s how to find the Kallur Lighthouse hike route!
With the toilet facilities cabin on your right hand side, and the car park behind you, walk along the short path lined with silver milk churns towards the red gate. Go through the gate (remember to shut it behind you) and then take the path to the right, which immediately becomes a relatively steep incline as you head towards the sea - under no circumstances should you head left after going through the red gate and walk towards the big hill.
Keep on this path towards a set of rather large boulders, and then bear left, taking the lower trail. At one point you’ll have to hop over a small dried out river ditch, but it’s plain sailing overall and easy walking across grassy terrain with a number of curious sheep for company. If the visibility is poor, one tip is to alway have the sea on your right hand side (although the path is a comfortable distance away from the island’s edge) as you walk towards the summit and Kallur Lighthouse - if the sea is not on your right hand side as you ascend, then you’ve gone wrong somewhere.
At a leisurely pace, we went from car park to the lighthouse in 45 minutes; it should take no longer than an hour.
Take in the View
At the top, there are three main viewpoints fanning out from the small red and white lighthouse. However, any direction you look at from up here is worth the journey alone; it is epic.
As we were blessed with great, calm weather on our hike, we were able to hang out for nearly two hours taking photos, eating our packed lunches, and soaking in the isolation.
It’s worth saying that, for those who suffer from vertigo, accessing some of the best viewpoints will be a pretty horrible experience. Andrew doesn’t deal well with heights and edges, but forced himself to be brave and take a walk to two vantage points which provide glorious views of the imposing shark-fin like rock-face, the sea, neighbouring islands, and down over the Kalsoy. Even if you’ve seen countless pictures of this location, nothing beats seeing it with your own two eyes.
Photography tip | This is one of several spots in the Faroes where a wide-angle lens was absolutely essential. We were very glad to have ours when capturing the epic views here (see what’s in our camera bag).
Returning to Klaksvík
Before you being your hike, be certain to know which return ferry you’re aiming for. This way you can be certain what time you need to make your way back down the trail, and ensure that you arrive to the ferry terminal with plenty of time to spare.
The departures from Syðradalur are:
Winter (1st September - 31st April) | 14:20, 15:50, 17:35, 18:50, and 22:35
Summer: (1st May - 31st August) | 14:20, 15:10, 16:40, 17:35, 18:50, and 22:35.
It is worth noting that many visitors, in addition to the lighthouse hike, include a stop at Mikladalur harbour on their way to/from Trøllanes to see the large bronze and stainless steel statue of Kópakonan (The Seal Wife) - we didn’t do this because we spent too much time taking photos of sheep. In Mikladalur, there is a basic cafe available for visitors.
We’d recommend arriving at the ferry terminal at least 20 minutes before the scheduled departure, where you repeat the process of joining the car queue and loading up before the twenty-minute return journey to Klaksvík. Whilst the chances of you not getting on the return ferry are much slimmer than when heading out there, during busier times it’s definitely something you need to be aware of, and plan for in advance.
Essential tips for visiting Kalsoy and the Kallur lighthouse
Allow Enough Time
With a number of moving parts for this day trip, it’s imperative that you factor in enough time to properly make the most of it. We would recommend scheduling three hours for hike itself, including time for photos, rest and lunch stops. Once the ferry journey, waiting time, the drive (or public transport), plus time to explore the rest of the island is factored in, the Kallur Lighthouse day trip will take up seven to eight hours.
Don’t underestimate the dangers…
As with all hikes in the Faroe Islands, it is imperative that you prepare for all weather conditions, with thick fog and strong winds being a particular risk; one cannot underestimate just how perilous the summit of this hike would be if the weather conditions were poor.
Indeed, the day before our own hike, a fellow visitor we spoke with had been unable to even reach the summit as the high winds made it incredibly unsafe to venture beyond the lighthouse.
It’s for this reason that having excellent travel insurance to visit the Faroes is essential. Rescue helicopters are not cheap at the best of times, but in Scandinavia, requiring one - and not being covered - will cost an obscene amount of money.
The two insurance companies which we use and recommend are True Traveller and World Nomads.
…Especially if you’re a photographer / videographer
For photographers, videographers and the intrepid, please do not underestimate that this is a remote island and your well-being when trying to source vantage points is 100% on you - exercise common sense, respect the surroundings, and do not take unnecessary risks which will only ruin this place for locals and future visitors.
Stories of tourists falling from the cliffs here are thankfully rare, but they do happen.
Additionally, we don’t have a drone so can’t say for sure, but we’d be amazed if the wind up here (even on a ‘calm’ day) would allow for a safe or sensible flight.
What to Bring
| Good hiking shoes. Mud, uneven terrain and the odd unexpected hole in the ground means that good hiking shoes (ideally boots like these) are absolutely essential to this hike. Andrew had hiking shoes on this trip, and regretted not having the ankle support.
| Charged Phone. This is a popular hike, and there are usually a few people around. However, things can, and do happen, and should you get unlucky, stranded, or injured, having the ability to call for help is very important. If you phone battery can’t be relied upon, consider investing in a portable charger - we use this one.
| Layers. The weather in The Faroes is grossly unpredictable - and layers will be your friend. The weather was pretty good during our hike, but even so, we both wore our Merino wool under layers for extra protection from the cold.
| Waterproof Jacket. Our NorthFace waterproof jackets come every where with us. Breathable, lightweight, and bright enough that even in fog we can usually spot one another.
| Hiking Poles. We did the hike without these, but if you have bad knees or would prefer a little support on the challenging ascents and descents which are very common on a number of Faroese hikes, then it’s sensible to bring a set. For our recent trip to South America, we bought these lightweight, collapsible set of travel hiking poles by Brasher which were great.
| Snacks + Water. Whilst you could feasibly track down food from one of the small villages on the island, as most of your time will be spent hiking to/from the lighthouse, taking your own food and water is more than good planning; it’s downright essential. The Faroes are delightfully unscarred by plastic waste at present, please keep it this way by using a refillable water bottle like this one.
| Leave no footprints - remember to respect the location, and discard of any litter appropriately.
| Wide-angled lens. This is one of several spots in the Faroes where a wide-angle lens was absolutely essential. We were very glad to have ours when capturing the epic views here (see what’s in our camera bag).
