Borðoy
Borðoy is the main island of the Northern Isles, the northeastern group of the Faroe Islands, and home to Klaksvík, the second-largest town in the archipelago with around 5,000 residents. Klaksvík is the Faroe Islands' primary fishing port, with a working harbour lined with fishing vessels and the Christianskirkjan church, whose altarpiece depicts Faroese fishermen in a storm. The island's highest summit is Norðan fyri Lokkaskarð at 772 metres. The Klakkur viewpoint above the town is reachable by a 90-minute hike and gives panoramic views over multiple fjords and the pyramid-shaped mountain of Kunoy across the water. Borðoy is connected by causeway to Kunoy Island and Viðoy Island, and connected to the rest of the archipelago by the Norðoyatunnilin, a sub-sea tunnel under the Leirvík strait opened in 2006. Føroya Bjór, the Faroe Islands' oldest brewery founded in 1888, is based in Klaksvík.
The Northern Islands' Main Hub, Where the Faroe Islands' Fishing Capital Sits Beneath Mountain Peaks and a Sub-Sea Tunnel Brings It Within Reach
Borðoy sits in the northeastern part of the Faroese archipelago, the largest island in the Norðoyar group that makes up the Northern Isles. Klaksvík, the island's main settlement and the Faroe Islands' second-largest town, developed as a fishing port from Viking Age origins and today processes and exports fish to markets across Europe. The town occupies an unusual position on an isthmus between two fjords, with mountains rising steeply on three sides and the harbour open to Klaksvíkarfjørður to the east. The settlement was cut off from Tórshavn by sea crossing until the Norðoyatunnilin sub-sea tunnel opened in 2006, a 6.3-kilometre tunnel running beneath the Leirvík strait that connects Borðoy to Eysturoy and from there to the rest of the road network. Inside the tunnel midpoint is a colourful light installation by the Faroese artist Tróndur Patursson. Before the tunnel, the island community was significantly more isolated, a fact reflected in its strong independent identity and fishing-centred culture.
The Klakkur viewpoint is the primary outdoor attraction on Borðoy, reached by a hiking trail of about 4 kilometres from the town centre rising to 413 metres, taking 60 to 90 minutes each way. From the summit the view extends across Klaksvíkarfjørður to the pyramid-shaped peak of Kunoyarnakki on Kunoy Island, south along the fjords toward Eysturoy, and north toward Viðoy and beyond. The hike is well-marked and considered moderate in difficulty. Árnafjørður on the eastern side of the island is a quiet, secluded fjord accessible by a short road off the main route north, with a small historic church and exceptional mountain reflections in calm weather. The village of Ánir at the head of the fjord has fewer than 20 inhabitants. Causeways connect Borðoy to Kunoy Island and Viðoy Island, making the northern tip of the archipelago driveable in a day from Klaksvík.
Klaksvík has a full range of services including hotels, restaurants, a hospital, and a supermarket. Føroya Bjór, the only remaining brewery in the Faroe Islands and the oldest, founded in 1888, is in Klaksvík and produces the beers found throughout the archipelago. The Christianskirkjan church in the centre of town is notable for its altarpiece depicting Faroese fishermen at sea in a storm, a deliberately local interpretation of a Christian subject. From Tórshavn, Borðoy is about 45 minutes by car via the Norðoyatunnilin tunnel. From the Vágar airport the drive takes around an hour and a half. Borðoy serves as the base for exploring all six of the Northern Isles including Kunoy, Viðoy, Svínoy, Fugloy, and Kalsoy.
