After the Tórshavn Marathon: Nólsoy

The Route: Tórshavn → Nólsoy → Tórshavn Logistics: SSL ferry route 90. Leave your large bag at the Tórshavn hotel by arrangement. Marathon Month: June Duration: Day trip

Tórshavn ──(approx. 30 mins, SSL route 90)──> Nólsoy (village)
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    └────────────(checked return sailing)──────────┘

The Tórshavn Marathon finishes on a Sunday afternoon, so the Monday after is the day to be somewhere with no hills you need to run. Nólsoy is a short ferry ride away and has one village, a quiet harbour and a lighthouse at the far end that makes a poor target for tired legs.

June in the Faroes is cool, windy and light until very late. Sailings can be disrupted by the weather, so read the live timetable the evening before and have a plan if the return is cancelled. The operator, SSL, asks passengers to arrive at least ten minutes before departure.

The day

Leave your bag at the hotel, which will usually hold it if you ask. Take the ferry from Tórshavn, a crossing of about 30 minutes. Sit on the open deck if the wind lets you, and look back at the town from the water: the grass-roofed houses of Tinganes, the harbour you finished at, and the hills you ran over.

In the village, walk slowly. The streets are short, the houses are colourful and nothing is far. Find a café or a bench and stay there. Avoid adding a long hike to the lighthouse to a recovery day. If you want one, save it for a fresher visit.

Check the return sailing before you wander off, and give yourself a margin. A missed ferry on an island this size can mean waiting a long time for the next one.

The way home

Take the checked return to Tórshavn and have dinner in town. Sunday restaurant hours are short in the capital, but on a Monday there is more choice. Book ahead.