One of the first things you notice when traveling around the Faroe Islands is the sheer number of waterfalls. They spill down cliffs and mountainsides all over the islands. After a good rain — which happens often here — you can’t help but notice water pouring down the rugged landscape in every direction.

There are so many waterfalls scattered throughout the islands that many of them don’t even have names.

But one waterfall definitely stands out.

Fossá Waterfall is the tallest waterfall in the Faroe Islands and somehow still one of the easiest to visit. You can literally pull over on the side of the road and be standing at the base in about 30 seconds.

Located on the eastern side of Streymoy Island, the waterfall drops about 140 meters (460 ft) down multiple levels.

While the view from the road is already impressive, adventurous visitors can climb up to the higher sections for even better views of the cascading water and surrounding cliffs.

Fossá waterfall Quick Info:

• Where: Eastern side of Streymoy Island, Faroe Islands
• Cost: Free!
• I visited on – Weekday and weekend
• Wait time – No wait, parking was easy but it was October – so technically the off season.
• Nearby: Only a 15 min drive from Torshavn.
• Address: 7W2C+CWV, Haldarsvík 440, Faroe Islands

Fossá waterfall Location

Fossá Waterfall is located on the island of Streymoy, the largest island in the Faroe Islands. Streymoy is also home to the capital city, Tórshavn, which is where many visitors base themselves during their trip.

From Tórshavn, the drive to Fossá takes about 45 minutes and is very straightforward.

If you’re staying in Tórshavn like we were, (check out our Airbnb we got for $60 a night here) you won’t need to pass through any toll tunnels to get here — which is a nice bonus when driving around the Faroe Islands.

How to get there:

The easiest way to get there is by rental car. The waterfall is located directly on the side of the main road. There are busses that canvas the Faroe Islands, but I have no clue how they work. I highly recommend renting your own car.

How Much Do Rental Cars Cost in the Faroe Islands?

Rental prices vary depending on the time of year, but to give you a rough idea — I rented a car for 9 days and paid about $600 total.

That price included extra fees for having two drivers and renting an automatic transmission. Without those extras, the cost likely would have been closer to $400 for the trip.

One thing that surprised me was how reasonable gas prices were. Filling up the tank typically cost around $40 USD, which worked out to less than $4 per gallon.

Parking

There’s a small free parking area directly off the side of the road near the waterfall that fits about 5–6 cars.

If that lot happens to be full, you’ll usually see additional cars parked along the roadside a little further down.

The waterfall itself is only about a 30-second walk from the road, making it one of the easiest stops you can make while exploring the Faroe Islands.

Visiting Fossá Waterfall

This waterfall is seriously so cool. It’s the tallest and most popular waterfall in the Faroe Islands, but it’s still surprisingly easy to have it mostly to yourself.

Full disclosure: I visited twice, both times in October during the off-season, so I can’t guarantee it’s this quiet in the summer.

What makes Fossá extra special is that you can climb up to the second cascade. Hardly anyone seems to go up there, but let me tell you, it is absolutely worth it.

Maybe that’s because the trail isn’t officially marked at the bottom, so a lot of people just stop at the roadside viewpoint.

From the second level, you can walk around and even explore behind the waterfall. It’s peaceful, dramatic, and honestly one of the coolest experiences I had in the Faroe Islands.

I loved it so much that I did it twice four times. After my most recent trip, I’ve now been up there four times. All four times I went I was the only one up there.

There’s also a picnic table at the bottom where you can sit and enjoy a snack or meal.

Waterfall Breakdown

The waterfall is divided into three sections: a lower section at street level, a middle section, and an upper section that opens into more of a plateau.

How “big” the waterfall looks will depend a lot on recent rainfall and snowmelt coming down from the mountains. I don’t mean the height, obviously, but the amount of water flowing over it.

When I first visited, the waterfall was smaller than I had seen in some photos and videos. I went back a few days later after a lot of rain, and it was honestly about twice as powerful as it had been before.

You can still get great photos from the base of the waterfall. From the parking lot, it’s only about a 30-second walk from the road. You can also climb up to the top of the lower section within about 5 minutes.

Climbing to the Base of the Waterfall

The first level of the waterfall can be reached in just a few minutes.

It’s a pretty easy climb to the base, but even if you don’t plan to go up to the second level, I still highly recommend wearing waterproof boots and rain gear. You will get wet if you go anywhere near the waterfall. It is also incredibly muddy here.

I wore my Salomon hiking boots and they were great in these rough, slippery conditions.

Hiking to the Second Level

You absolutely should try to reach the second level of Fossá.

The path begins on the right side of the waterfall (when facing it). It takes about 15 minutes to climb up.

The trail isn’t particularly difficult, but it can be muddy and slippery, so proper footwear is important.

Both times I went up, I had the entire upper area to myself. It’s rare to find such a dramatic spot that quiet.

Walking Behind Fossá Waterfall

Once you reach the second level, you can walk behind the waterfall.

There isn’t a clearly defined path, so you’ll need to carefully make your way across wet rocks and muddy ground.

Just be aware that you will get soaked from the spray.

Photographing Fossá Waterfall – Tips and best photo spots

It is possible to get an image of the entire waterfall like the one I featured below without a drone.

To do this you will have to back track a little and cross the bridge at Norðskála and photograph it from the island Eysturoy. 

At this location a telephoto lens really comes in handy. I have the Sony Alpha 7IV with the 70-200 Sony alpha lens. I never travel without this combo.

I also highly recommend bringing a travel towel with you like this one here. My gear got so wet and while most of it is water resistant I just didn’t want to push my luck. Having a towel to dry off my gear really helped keep my anxiety at bay.

When photographing behind the waterfall I only brought my iPhone and my Go Pro. Everything got soaked!!

Reverse Waterfall Faroe Islands

A reverse waterfall is a unique phenomenon that occurs in the Faroe Islands. This happens when the wind blows so hard against a waterfall that it blows the water up. The unique geography of the North Atlantic Ocean creates extra wind that makes this happen all the time.

While I was up on the second deck on a windy day all of a sudden all of the water from the cascade below blew upward and drenched me. I looked like I had been swimming! 

You can read more about this phenomenon here (reverse waterfall). It happens when the wind gusts are extra strong.

This is especially common in the autumn and winter months when the weather is windier and stormier. I was there in October and I saw it happen almost every day I was there. 

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