A view worth traveling for. All photos by Mark Gray.
Copenhagen-based photographer Mark Gray, one of Fathom's 24 Best Travelers on Instagram, shows us around the Faroe Islands, a self-governing Scandinavian archipelago where there are more sheep than people.
FAROE ISLANDS – The raw beauty of the Faroe Islands is hard to find anywhere else in the world. It's made up of eighteen rocky volcanic islands and sits between Iceland and Norway in the North Atlantic Ocean. Due to its location, it can be hard to get what most people would consider common goods — unless of course you're willing to pay (ex. $15 for a small pack of strawberries). Take a peek at the other-worldly escape through my camera lens and drone.
No matter where you are in the Faroe Islands, you're going to see something related to fishing. Mainly because 95% of exports are fish-related.Sørvágsvatn is an optical illusion that creates the impression of a lake located hundreds of feet above sea level. In actuality, the elevation difference between the lake and the ocean is only about 30 meters; however, steep and significant elevation changes in the surrounding hills give the lake a seemingly impossible and breathtaking view.I find it hard to resist good symmetry.Drangarnir sounds more like a character out of Game of Thrones than an actual place. Funny thing about this place is that there is actually very little information on how to get there. Like a lot of great places in the Faroe Islands, you really need to put the work in to see it. Your options are either to rent a boat (which isn't cheap) or to hike seven-to-eight hours round trip, mainly on goat paths. We did the latter.I wasn't sure where this path would lead me, but that's part of the fun.Can you spot my red raincoat?Gásadalur village is located on the once remote west side of the island. Prior to blasting a tunnel in 2004, people would trek over a 400-meter mountain, which explains why there is a population of just eighteen people in the village.People ask me many things about my travels. The questions vary from what equipment I use to how I afford to do it, and where I'd like to go next. But the question I get asked the most is what's on my list of travel essentials. The answer is simple (and pretty cheesy):. Someone with me while I do and see it all.
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A view worth traveling for. All photos by Mark Gray.
