Artistic Undersea Tunnels of Faroe Islands Become Popular Tourist Destination Between Scotland, Iceland and Norway
Extending between 18 islands, a network of land and undersea tunnels links less than 55,000 residents and those who visit with each of the remote and visually stunning Faroe Islands, an archipelago of volcanic islands situated between the northernmost reaches of Scotland, Iceland, and Norway that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to its rugged, unspoiled and breathtaking landscape each year.
Seventeen tunnels have been created in total; four of which are under the sea, and one with a roundabout that is so magical, that drivers rotate around the traffic circle numerous times to take in the artistry in front of them.
“Though we are 18 islands, we often joke that (because of the tunnels) we defy the fact that we are islands,” says Súsanna Sørensen, marketing manager of Visit Faroe Islands.
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Each of the four undersea tunnels connecting the Faroe Islands is designed to withstand the powerful weight of the North Atlantic Ocean surrounding their basalt structure; the tunnels provide the utmost safety to drivers traveling through their hallowed, carved-out tunnels, in addition to ease of travel; making near to impossible travel above ground during inclement weather, possible.
According to the company that operates the tunnels, the Eysturoy Tunnel is approximately 614 feet (187 meters) below sea level (at its lowest point), while the Sandoy Tunnel sits approximately 508 feet (155 meters) below the North Atlantic.
“The tunnels are designed by the world‘s leading engineers and geologists, so safety with regards to the Atlantic above is not an issue,” says Samuelsen.
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Two undersea tunnels in particular, the Eysturoy and Sandoy Tunnels have become more popular than the islands themselves for their ‘artistry’ that illuminates the driving experience through the long, darkened tunnels.
“These are our Eiffel Tower or Big Ben,” says Teitur Samuelsen, CEO of Eystur-og Sandoyartunlar, the company operating the tunnels, “with people, especially tourists, driving through them just to see the art.”
“We have a lot of good art in the Faroes, and we’d like to support our artists. In addition, it breaks up the monotony in a long, dark tunnel, so it’s good for driving safety,” says Samuelsen.
Known as a”sculpture-infused tunnel,” the Eysturoy Tunnel, which opened in 2020, is nearly seven miles (11 kilometers) in length, connecting Streymoy, a large island in the archipelago chain, to Eysturoy, the archipelago’s next biggest island.
Inside the Eysturoy Tunnel, a ‘sculptural roundabout,’ nicknamed ‘the jellyfish,’ has drawn thousands of tourists to admire its engineering and artistry. The world’s first ‘undersea roundabout,’ engineers and commuters compare the artistic wonder to the “Aurora borealis or jellyfish glowing in the sunlight.”
It’s estimated that approximately 6,000 commuters traverse the Eysturoy Tunnel each day.
In 2023, the Sandoy Tunnel opened, connecting the island of Streymoy and the tiny island of Sandoy, wherein approximately 1,000 commuters travel through its six-and-a-half mile tunnel each day, which sits at 508 feet (155 meters) below the North Atlantic.
The Sandoy Tunnel has been defined as both a visual and auditory engineering piece of art. Both an artist and a composer had their hands on the ‘artistic and acoustic’ designs of the subsea wonder.
A prominent Faroese artist, by the name of Edward Fuglø ignited the visual masterpiece of the undersea tunnel with ancient cave paintings, with a modern twist. While the acoustic design was created by Sunleif Rasmussen, a renowned Faroese composer.
“I had a dream of the melody,” says Rasmussen.
He stated that he “relied on some of the sounds of the tunnel, including water dripping during the construction, as well as music by the lead singer of the pop group Snowflakes to produce this inventive electroacoustic work.”
The opening of the Sandoy Tunnel has been said to be ‘life-changing’ for residents of the Faroe Islands, many moving back to the small archipelago island thanks to the construction of the undersea tunnel allowing them to navigate to the larger islands more easily and not feel as isolated. And, thanks to its construction, more small businesses and residential properties have opened in Sandoy.
“Because of the tunnel, my wife, Barbara, and I both moved back to Sandoy and opened Cafe Retro,” says business co-owner Dávur Jacobsen.
And according to Ólavur Jøkladal, director of the Sandur Art Museum, “The number of visitors has more than doubled since the tunnel opened.”
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