In the Faroe Islands of the North Atlantic, the island of Kalsoy is home to the remote, 98-year-old Kallur Lighthouse. Puffins and other seabirds populate the jagged cliffs of the Faroe Islands. © Ivan Kmit | Dreamstime.com

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By bike or on foot, Copenhagen’s trendy Nyhavn neighborhood is easy to navigate. The Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen lived in Nyhavn. © Luisa Vallon Fumi | Dreamstime.com

The wind blasted me as I neared the edge of the cliff. Leaning into the gust, I struggled to stay on my feet. Deciding that my safety was more important than another spectacular view, I reluctantly turned back.

I was in the Faroe Islands, an archipelago of 18 islands in the North Atlantic about midway between Norway and Iceland. With more sheep (about 80,000) than people (about 50,000), the Faroe Islands, literally the “sheep islands,” are beautiful, bucolic and peaceful, except for the occasional raging wind.

The islands are an awe-inspiring land of jagged rock pillars overlooking pounding seas, waterfalls cascading from hills and cliffs, fjords serrating green hills dotted with sheep, and villages of grass-covered houses.

“If Ireland and Iceland had a baby, it would be the Faroes,” declared Michael Bennett, founder of the travel company Explorer X, who accompanied me on my trip last fall.

Return to the North Atlantic

I have been drawn to the rugged lands at the extremes of the earth — Antarctica, Iceland, northern Alaska, northern Scotland, the Canadian High Arctic, among others — since a trip in 1969 that sparked a passion for remote regions of the world.

On that trip, I drove my new Volvo, fresh from the factory in Sweden, from Copenhagen to the North Cape, the northernmost point in Europe, then down the northern fjords of Norway and back to the factory in Sweden to ship home to Pennsylvania.

I’m not sure what it is about these lands — dramatic, vast, even a bit scary — that appeals to me. Perhaps it’s the sense that there is something bigger than myself, which takes me out of my head and reminds me that I am just a mere speck in the universe. Whatever it is, the Faroes were the ideal place to once again experience this feeling of transcendence.

Copenhagen comeback

As a self-governing part of Denmark, the Faroes are easy to reach from Copenhagen, the starting point for my seminal trip in 1969. Before heading to the islands, I spent my one day in Copenhagen on a long, nostalgic walk revisiting hazily remembered sites.

I wandered through Christianshavn, a bohemian neighborhood, to Nyhavn, a historic 17th-century canal district with colorful buildings, classic wooden ships and many restaurants lining the canal.

I continued to the Rosenborg Castle, a Renaissance castle that houses the Danish crown jewels. Instead of taking a tour of the building, I opted for a leisurely stroll through the King’s Garden, a large park in front of the fortress, then on to Strøget, a long, car-free pedestrian shopping street, one of the first in Europe.

From there I headed to Tivoli Gardens, a historic amusement park that opened in 1843 and is one of the oldest in the world.

By the time I reached my destination, however, I was tired from jet lag and the more than four miles I had already walked. That, plus the $35 admission charge, dissuaded me from revisiting the fondest and most vivid memory of my earlier visit, so I headed back to my hotel instead. All in all, I had a full, nostalgic day.

Five days in the Faroes

The next day, it was on to the Faroes. Our five days there kicked off in dramatic fashion, with a high-octane RIB (rigid inflatable boat) tour around Hestur Island.

The boat roared across the sound, then slowed down as it circled the island to give us a view of its many sea caves, including the world’s biggest sea grotto, etched into 1,000-foot cliffs. As we twisted on the large, choppy swells, I marveled at the sheep nonchalantly nibbling grass on the steep slopes, just a slight misstep away from plunging into the crashing surf below.

Over the next few days, we gawked at waterfalls, heard legends worthy of a Netflix series, and visited the home of a local family for dinner. Over heaping platters of local salmon, lamb, roasted potatoes and rhubarb crisp, Anna and Oli described their everyday lives, especially the challenges of raising and herding sheep in this rugged land.

We even took a helicopter from the main island of Streymoy to the tiny, westernmost island of Mykines. This wasn’t a tourist experience but a regularly scheduled route run by Atlantic Airways, the national carrier of the Faroe Islands.

Since the purpose of our trip was to get an aerial view of the precipitous cliffs, we didn’t get off in Mykines. If I ever have a chance to go back to the Faroes, I’ll spend a night or two in the tiny village on the island and visit the puffin colonies that populate the cliffs during the summer months.

Hiking in the Faroes

The hikes we took were the ultimate highlight for me — an opportunity to be immersed in the majestic environment, rather than just gawk at it from a distance.

Our first hike, the most popular one in the Faroes, was to the iconic Kallur lighthouse on Kalsoy Island, the site of the finale of the James Bond movie No Time to Die.

It’s not an easy hike — about an hour or more uphill on a muddy trail — but the breathtaking views from the lighthouse are worth the effort. A huge massif of sheer basalt looms over the scene on one side, while on the other, a narrow blade of land with steep drop-offs juts into the ocean.

A potentially treacherous trail runs along the narrow ridge. If I were younger and nimbler, I might have braved the trail, but at 83, good sense and age-tempered wisdom prevailed.

Our other hike, to the Lake Above the Ocean on the island of Vágar, was so enjoyable that we did it twice. The lake is sometimes referred to as the “floating lake” because it’s on the edge of a cliff, about 100 feet above the ocean. Yet another spectacular waterfall spills from the lake into the ocean.

The first time, we hiked through a land reminiscent of northern Scotland on a relatively flat trail that runs to the cliff at the end of the lake. It was drizzly and foggy, though, so we couldn’t see much.

We gave it another try on our last day in the Faroes. Michael and Kevin, Michael’s friend from his college days, both in their mid-40s, surged ahead while I followed doggedly behind. After a few minutes, I had the trail pretty much to myself.

This time I almost made it to the end, but the wind stopped me dead in my tracks. Nonetheless, I felt a sense of accomplishment and was exhilarated by the effort and the lonely beauty of this harsh land.

It was the perfect manifestation of the passion that has driven me for much of the past 20 years — a true adventure, accessible to an aging traveler who continues to thirst for challenging, transcendent journeys off the beaten track. I’m still not too old for adventure.

If you go

Round-trip, one-stop economy fares to Copenhagen start at $800 on American Airlines, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines. Round-trip airfare between Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands on Atlantic Airways is about $350.

In Copenhagen, I stayed at the hip Bryggen Guldsmeden for about $250 per night. In Tórshavn in the Faroes, we stayed at the Hotel Hafnia and the Hotel Føroyar. Both hotels are about $250 a night.

In Tórshavn, we ate at Áarstova, The Tarv Grill House and HAPS. For a dinner with locals, see heimablidni.fo/en.

Don’s trip was organized and partially hosted by Explorer X (explorer-x.com).