The Faroe Islands’ largest lake to the beautiful waterfall Bøsdalafossur.

An easy and beautiful walk along the Faroe Islands’ largest lake to the beautiful waterfall Bøsdalafossur.
When you have passed through Miðvágur by the main road from Sandavágur, turn left on the first street just after the church. Continue straight about two to three hundred metres, then turn right and continue until you reach the gate to the outfield. Along the way, you will see Trøllkonufingur (Trollwoman’s Finger), a high cliff southeast of the village of Sandavágur. As far as anyone knows, the rock was first climbed in 2012. The walking path, the old path to the peat field, begins at the outfield gate. Go through the old peat meadows and note the many collapsed peat stores of stone. There are no cairns on the path. Vatnið is the largest lake in the Faroes. It is called Leitisvatn as well as Sørvágsvatn, but most people call it Vatnið.

There are several legends about Huldufólk (Hidden People) at Vatnið. On the way from Miðvágur to Sørvágur, there was a Huldu-mound. One day, a Huldu-woman asked a priest to come inside. There were supposed to be many Huldufólk inside. When leaving, the priest, who knew how to practice witchcraft, made sure to seal the mound so that it could not be opened again. There was said to be both moaning and wailing within.

Another legend talks about Nykur (Nix), a scary creature that lives in lakes and often resembles a beautiful horse. It lures people close, grabs them and pulls them to the bottom of the lake. Once upon a time, children had gone to play by Vatnið. Nykur came to them in the shape of a horse and they climbed on its back to play. The smallest boy, who could not get up on Nykur, was frightened and called out to his brother, Niklas: “Brother Nika” (he had not learned to talk yet). Nykur, thinking his name was called, lost its power and disappeared, and the children were saved. Nykur loses all its power when called by name.

The area Úti í Svanga is characterised by the large amount of birds that preside there during the summer. Trælanípa (Slave Mountain) is a perpendicular rock wall, which juts 142 metres upwards out of the sea. Supposedly, it has gotten its name from the Viking Age when slaves were pushed off the mountain. Be careful not to get too close to the edge as it is steep! From here, you can see the southernmost part of Streymoy, Hestur, Koltur, Sandoy, Skúvoy and Suðuroy.

When you arrive right at the edge of Bøsdalafossur, you can see ruins from buildings that the British left behind in Vágar after World War II. During the war, there were several thousand British soldiers in the Faroe Islands, especially in Vágar. The British built the airport, which was extended in 2011.

The waterfall Bøsdalafossur itself is a magnificent sight as it thunders down towards the sea. This area alone, with its waterfall, ocean and lake, has been much depicted in dramatic weather in winter, when natural forces struggle against each other.

You can cross Bøsdalaá by using the stepping stones that are placed in the river. You can then walk up to a gorge where there is a good view of the cliff Geituskorardrangur. You also see the bird cliffs of Sørvágsbjørg, Mykines and Mykineshólmur and to the south you see Sandoy, Skúvoy and Suðuroy. For the trip back, use the path by the lake on the same side as you came. The end of the path is through a walled sheepfold.
FACTS
Duration: About two hours

Distance: Five km

Difficulty: Easy

Maximum height: The terrain is almost flat, but with the possibility to go up to Trælanípa at 142 m height

Children: Suitable for children

Surface: Grass path most of the route

Map: 309