Trælanípa and Sørvágsvat

The highlight of Vágar island is the hike to Trælanípa and the photograph of the “floating lake.” Sørvágsvatn, the largest lake in the archipelago, appears to "float" hundreds of meters directly above the North Atlantic.

The lake itself is actually only about 30 meters above sea level. The "floating" effect is a massive optical illusion created by the sheer, 142-meter vertical wall of Trælanípa (the Slave Cliff). When viewed from the southern ridge, the steep elevation of the cliff hides the small gap between the lake's edge and the ocean, making the water look as though it’s perched precariously on a high plateau.

The name Trælanípa translates literally to "Slave Cliff," and its history is as brutal as the landscape. It dates back to the Viking Age, when the Faroe Islands were a Norse settlement. Legend (and local oral history) maintains that this was the site of execution for "unserviceable" slaves—those who were too old, ill, or rebellious to work. They were purportedly pushed off the 142-meter precipice into the crashing surf below.

At the end of the lake, the water exits via the Bøsdalafossur waterfall. This is a rare geological feature where a freshwater lake spills directly into the ocean.

In proper Faroe Islands form, there was sun and several rain squalls while hiking, making for dynamic and dramatic conditions including several rainbows, driving rain, and 40mph wind gusts!Read more