Vestmanna is a small fishing town on the west coast of Streymoy, reached via the road past the tunnel entrance to Vagar when coming from Torshavn. The town sits in a deep bay ringed by four mountains — Hægstafjall, Økslin, Loysingafjall, and Moskurfjall — that press close on all sides. Its name derives from the Old Norse for "Westmen's harbour," a reference to Viking settlers who arrived here from the British Isles in the early medieval period.
The main reason to visit is the boat trip to the Vestmanna bird cliffs — one of the best excursions anywhere in the Faroe Islands. Operators run small boats directly from the harbour into a landscape of sheer basalt walls, sea stacks, natural arches, and caverns that plunge into near-darkness, all packed with nesting seabirds. Even without the birds, the geology would be worth the journey. With them — puffins, guillemots, razorbills, gannets, arctic terns, skuas — it is something else entirely. Book ahead in July and August.
The town itself is small and quiet between boat departures. There is a modest Viking Wax Museum in the village with exhibits on Faroese Norse history. A camping site on the edge of town accommodates caravans and tents — a reasonable base for exploring the western side of Streymoy without the expense of Torshavn.