Sørvágsvatn

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Sørvágsvatn is a Lake at Sorgasvegur, Sandavagur, Faroe Islands

Sørvágsvatn is the largest lake in the Faroe Islands, set among the fells of the island of Vágar. Confusingly, it goes by two names. People from one end call it Sørvágsvatn and those from the other Leitisvatn, and the dispute has never quite been settled. The lake stretches some six kilometres through a shallow valley, its far end stopping just short of the sea, held back by a narrow lip of cliff. That lip is what makes the place famous. Seen from the cliff of Trælanípa above, the water appears to hang high over the ocean, a striking optical illusion, though its surface in fact lies just above sea level. At the seaward end the lake spills over the edge as the waterfall Bøsdalafossur, dropping straight into the Atlantic. A gentle, mostly flat path follows the shore from Miðvágur to these viewpoints, one of the most popular walks in the country. On the clear nights that break through the North Atlantic cloud, this remote valley at around 62°N offers a fine chance of the northern lights, mirrored in the still water with no settlement lights to spoil the view.

Where to find Sørvágsvatn?

62°2'50"N, 7°13'58"W

Aurora hunting in Tórshavn?

The aurora season here runs from October to March, with the best chances of seeing the Northern Lights in November and February. Sørvágsvatn offers open skies and natural beauty - ideal conditions for spotting the aurora.

What do people think of Sørvágsvatn?

  • walk to the cliff to see the angriest waves of north atlantic

    Davide G1 July 2013

  • Hike up the mountain after the gorge to get the "infinity pool" view

    Jenny S15 September 2017

  • Hike up as high as you can!

    pieter v12 June 2017

  • It’s a beautiful, peaceful lake. Unfortunatelly the weather was too bad for a longer hike plus one hiking path was closed.

    Mishka5 October 2024

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