Fámjin
©
Fámjin

Fámjin

Sheltered Suðuroy west-coast village below sea cliffs, whose church holds the original Faroese flag.

Fámjin is one of only two villages on the wild west coast of Suðuroy, the southernmost island in the Faroe Islands. The high vertical sea cliffs that line this coast make habitation almost impossible — Fámjin occupies one of the rare sheltered spots.

The village church holds the original Faroese flag, sewn in 1919 by a young student from Fámjin while studying in Copenhagen. Prestgjógv, a dramatic gorge, is a short walk from the village at the end of the road. Above the village, Kirkjuvatn (Church Lake) is a popular hike with good views over the coast.

A summer cafe in the village is open to visitors — few tourists make it to Suðuroy, and those who do are warmly received. To reach Fámjin, drive to Øravík on the east coast (just south of the Krambatangi ferry port) and follow the signs west.

Guide

Things to Do

Fámjin has three sights, all within walking distance of the village. The small wooden church holds the original Faroese flag and the only runestone in the islands. Behind the village a marked path climbs to the mountain lake of Kirkjuvatn — about an hour up, two or three hours round trip — and the road past the church ends above Prestgjógv, a dramatic sea gorge at the cliffs. Beyond those, the appeal of Fámjin is the village itself: a handful of houses on the only sheltered spot of a wild western coast, the kind of place where a summer cafe is the focal point of social life.