Walking on Mykines. The westernmost island, reached by a short but sometimes rough ferry crossing from Sørvágur on Vágar, is one of the great birdwatching destinations in Europe. In summer, puffins cover the western headland so thickly you have to watch your step. Walk across the bridge to the lighthouse islet and sit among gannets. Book the ferry early — numbers are limited and it fills up.
The boat trip at Vestmanna. Tour boats leave from the village of Vestmanna on Streymoy and take you beneath bird cliffs hundreds of metres high, into sea caves, and through narrow passages where kittiwakes nest on ledges at eye level. One of the best wildlife boat trips in the North Atlantic.
Kirkjubøur. The medieval core of the Faroes, on the south coast of Streymoy. A roofless cathedral, a working 12th-century church, and a farmhouse where the same family has lived for 800 years. The whole place takes about two hours to explore; it costs nothing and most visitors skip it entirely.
Ólavsøka in Tórshavn. The national festival on 28–29 July is worth building a trip around. Ten thousand Faroese pour into a capital that normally holds twenty thousand. Rowing races in the harbour, a parliamentary opening, free concerts, and — at midnight on the 29th — the Midnáttarsangurin, a huge outdoor sing-along followed by the traditional chain dance. If you want to understand what it means to be Faroese, this is the day to be there.
Driving through the tunnels. The undersea road network that connects most of the islands is a feat of small-nation engineering. The Eysturoyartunnilin includes the world's only undersea roundabout. Passing through it, 187 metres below sea level, is a strange and memorable experience.
The village of Gásadalur. Until 2004, this village on Vágar was accessible only on foot over the mountain. Now a short tunnel brings you in by car. From the edge of the village, a waterfall drops directly from the cliff top into the sea 300 metres below, with the island of Mykines in the distance.