Mykines Travel Guide

Mykines (pronounced ‘Mee-chi-nes) lies off the west coast of Faroe Islands’ main islands. The island is blessed with the largest puffin colony in the archipelago.

Visitors to Mykines will see thousands of puffins during the summer season from early May to end of August. Mykines is the puffin safe haven when they are nesting during the summer months.

There is a puffin guarantee when visiting Mykines between May and August. The North Atlantic Puffin leaves the Faroe Islands in early September.

There are some 70 houses in Mykines. Only 15 people live on the island throughout the year.

On Mykines island visitors can walk along the impressive rocky coastline to a lighthouse on the nearby islet Mykineshólmur. You can see that the islet has been exposed to the full force of the North Atlantic Ocean.

The islet is the westernmost tip of the Faroe Islands. Seals are regular visitors when hauling themselves on the skerries here.

Mykines rises high from the sea on all sides and can only be reached by boat or helicopter in fair weather. Knúkur is the highest peak reaching 560 metres above sea level providing a panoramic view of the island.

​The island is 10,28 km2 and it stretches 7 kilometres (4,3 miles) from east to west. Mykines is fairly narrow from north to south.

You will get to Mykines by boat from the village Sørvágur on Vágar island. Have a look at the Mykines Shuttle Boat which will take you to the island smooth and easy. There is also a helicopter connection, which is made for the locals. Mykines is a car-free island so boats to Mykines only take passengers.

The only way to see the island is by foot. As the island is really steep and surrounded by lots of skerries, submerged rocks, and sea stacks, there is only one place on the island where boats can port. The small pier lies near the only village on the island.

The remote island is a truly amazing place. People come to the island to experience nature, to soak in the atmosphere, and to enjoy the quietness of the place.

The wildlife is immense during the summer months. This is the time of the year when you see everything from puffins, common murre, northern fulmar, black-legged kittiwake to northern gannet.

See guided tours to Mykines

The houses in the sole village are turf-roofed and well kept. Everything about Mykines is truly special and for many people Mykines is the very highlight of their summer experience in the Faroe Islands.