Experience the best of Streymoy

Streymoy lies at the centre of the Faroe Islands, in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Scotland. It is the largest island and home to Tórshavn, one of the smallest capitals in Europe, where wooden buildings with grass roofs stand on the Tinganes peninsula beside the harbour. Roads, bridges and subsea tunnels link Streymoy with the neighbouring islands, and the airport is on nearby Vágar.

Steep sea cliffs hold seabird colonies at Vestmanna, where boats nose beneath the rock faces. Saksun, a tiny village at the end of a valley beside a tidal lagoon, has a turf-roofed church, and Tjørnuvík on the north coast has a dark-sand beach where people surf. In the south, Kirkjubøur holds the ruins of an unfinished medieval cathedral and a farmhouse said to be among the oldest wooden houses still lived in.

Faroese food is built on lamb, fish and potatoes. Wind-dried mutton and fermented fish are traditional, and restaurants in Tórshavn serve fresh fish, shellfish and lamb with local ingredients. The weather changes by the minute, with mild damp summers, cool winters and frequent cloud. June to August has the longest light, and the national festival, Ólavsøka, fills Tórshavn on 28 and 29 July.