Hvalba Tunnel

The Hvalbiartunnilin connects Hvalba to Trongisvágur and the rest of Suðuroy. Before it opened in 1963 the village was reached only by a steep mountain road that was often closed by snow or fog, and in winter Hvalba could be cut off for days.

The tunnel is 1,450 metres long and runs straight through the mountain. It is worth driving at least once for the experience of the old bore — narrow, dimly lit, and entirely unlike the smart sub-sea tunnels that link the larger Faroese islands today.

things to do sight
A story
When the tunnel opened in 1963 it was the first road tunnel in the Faroe Islands, and for decades it was a single lane wide with passing places hacked out of the rock. A second, parallel tunnel was eventually built alongside it to take the southbound traffic — but the old bore is still in use, lit by bare bulbs and dripping in places, and feels much older than it is.