Borðoy is the largest of the six islands of the Norðoyggjar group in the northern Faroe Islands, and home to Klaksvík, the second-largest town in the archipelago. Where Tórshavn is the political and commercial capital, Klaksvík is the fishing capital — a working harbour town surrounded by dramatic mountains and fjords, dominated by the modernist Christianskirkjan on the hill and home to the country's oldest brewery, Föroya Bjór.
The island sits at the hub of the northern islands. The Norðoyatunnilin subsea tunnel connects Borðoy to Eysturoy (and from there to the rest of the Faroes), while causeways link it to Kunoy and Viðoy. Car ferries run to Kalsoy; Fugloy and Svinoy are reached via Viðoy and then a ferry from Hvannasund. If you are heading to any of the remote northern islands, Borðoy is your gateway.
The landscape is rugged and rewarding. Steep ridgelines drop sharply to the sea, and the light shifts constantly — overcast and moody one hour, brilliant the next. The hike up Klakkur above Klaksvík is the best panoramic view in the northern islands, and the road north ends at the all-but-abandoned village of Múli. For travellers who want a quieter Faroese experience than Tórshavn offers, Borðoy and Klaksvík reward those who make the journey north.