Trælanípa

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Trælanípa is a Nature Preserve in Faroe Islands

Trælanípa is a sheer sea cliff on the island of Vágar in the Faroe Islands, dropping around 140 metres straight into the North Atlantic. Its name means the Slave Cliff. In Viking times, so the story goes, slaves who could no longer work were thrown from its edge into the sea below. The cliff rises beside Sørvágsvatn, the largest lake in the islands, also known as Leitisvatn, and it is here that the Faroes’ most famous optical illusion appears. Stand at the right spot and the lake seems to hang high above the ocean, suspended over the cliffs, though in truth its surface sits only a little above the sea. Reaching Trælanípa takes a gentle walk of a few kilometres along the lakeshore from the village of Miðvágur, the same trail that leads on to the waterfall Bøsdalafossur nearby. There is a small fee to cross the private farmland at the start. Aurora watching this far south, at around 62°N, is at the mercy of the North Atlantic weather, but on the clear nights that do come the remote cliffs and their dark, empty skies offer a real chance of the northern lights over the lake and the sea beyond.

Where to find Trælanípa?

62°1'15"N, 7°13'45"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. The open spaces around Trælanípa can provide unobstructed views of the Northern Lights.

What do people think of Trælanípa?

  • Unbelievable mind blowing magical location

    Humaid B7 September 2018

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