What to Do in the Village of Árnafjørður
Árnafjørður is small enough to take in at a glance, so the useful question is which of its few pleasures fits your day. The village has about 64 residents, a white church, a shoreline of boat houses, a small beach and two mountain routes. It has no shop, cafe, public toilet or tour desk. The town of Klaksvík, 10 minutes away by road, covers all of that.
At a glance
| Activity | Effort | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Fjord viewpoint on route 70 | None, roadside | A short stop |
| Shore, boat houses and beach | Easy | A short stroll |
| Klaksvík to Árnafjørður hike | Difficult, 395 m up | About 1 hour 45 minutes one way |
| Katlarnir loop from the village | Difficult, 653 m up | About 2 hours 35 minutes on the official page |
The viewpoint
Between the new Árnafjarðartunnilin (about 1.96 km) and Hvannasundstunnilin (about 2.25 km), roughly 500 m apart, is a pull-off with the widest view of the fjord. Stop here for a few minutes whichever way you are driving.
The shore and the church
Walk down to the head of the fjord to see the boat houses and the small beach. The white church with the red roof sits beside the Stórá river. Cars can pull up next to the church or near the tunnel mouths. On Sundays the official hike page asks visitors to leave the church parking free from 11:00 to 12:00.
The hikes
The 5 km route from Klaksvík crosses the Áarskarð pass and peaks at 429 m. The loop to Katlarnir runs 7 km and peaks at 516 m, passing Toftaskarð at 466 m and Uppi á Gjógv. Both are rated difficult and cross the Stórá river and fences with no gates. The Katlarnir loop is not suitable for young children.
At Katlarnir, the old Thing site, you can see the Thing stones where the assembly met. A boulder named Grindasteinur on the hike is tied to pilot whale hunting history. Visit Faroe Islands says to use a GPX file and to skip the hills in fog.
When there is time left
- Klaksvík has the Christianskirkjan, built in 1963, the Norðoya Fornminnissavn museum and a swimming hall with a 25 m pool.
- The route 56 ferry to Kalsoy takes about 20 minutes and links to the Kallur Lighthouse hike, which costs DKK 200 for adults.
- Hvannasund is about 8 km on and has the ferry to Svínoy and Fugloy. Check ssl.fo for times.
Wildlife
Seabird colonies and whale trips are not part of a visit to this village. For puffins, go to Mykines between 1 May and 31 August (about DKK 400 to 500 online, guide included, plus the ferry) or to Nólsoy, and keep well back from nests.
Before you go
- Buy food and drink in Klaksvík.
- Fog and wind change quickly. Dial 112 in an emergency.
- Sheep wander across unfenced roads, and cliff edges have no barriers.
Read more: Walking tours in Árnafjørður and Sightseeing .
Sources and routes: Visit Faroe Islands hike page for Klaksvík to Árnafjørður . Excursions around the Northern Isles can be searched on Viator for Klaksvík .