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Words and images by Jens Bille
In the North Atlantic ocean the island Mykines is located as part of the Faroe Islands. Getting there is always a challenge but the reward is worth it.
Remote, windswept, and breathtakingly beautiful, Mykines is the westernmost island of the Faroe Islands and a true haven for nature lovers. Known for its dramatic cliffs, rolling green hills, and puffin colonies, Mykines offers an unforgettable experience for those seeking the raw power and serenity of the landscape.
The island is home to just a handful of permanent residents, which only adds to its charm and untouched character.
One of Mykines’ most iconic sights is the hike to Mykineshólmur, a sea stack connected by a narrow footbridge, where visitors can walk among thousands of nesting seabirds—including the charismatic Atlantic puffin and the striking gannet. The views of the North Atlantic Ocean from the cliffs are nothing short of spectacular, offering a profound sense of scale and solitude.
Every summer, thousands of Atlantic puffins return to the island of Mykines, making it one of the best places in the Faroe Islands to see these iconic seabirds up close. With their bright orange beaks, comical expressions, and fluttering wings, puffins are a favorite among wildlife and bird photographers—and on Mykines, they are remarkably easy to spot.
The cliffs and grassy slopes above the sea provide perfect nesting grounds, where puffins dig burrows to raise their chicks. The best place to observe them is along the trail to Mykineshólmur, where puffins can often be seen just a few meters away, completely unfazed by human presence.
During the peak season, from late spring to early August, the sky comes alive with puffins swooping in from the ocean, bringing food back to their young. It’s a spectacular sight—especially for photographers trying to keep up with the speed of the birds as they fly by.
In between flying out to catch fish or building nests, the puffins rest on the sides of the cliffs.
While puffins spend most of their lives at sea, they return to land each year to breed in the same locations. Mykines’ remoteness and minimal human disturbance have made it a safe haven for these birds. Visitors are reminded to stay on marked paths and respect the fragile environment to help protect the puffin population for generations to come.
Seeing puffins up close and observing their behavior is an incredibly fun and enjoyable experience.
It was my second time visiting Mykines, but this trip was dedicated to photographing both the landscape and the birds on the island. Apart from puffins, there is also a large colony of gannets that you can observe up close.
The trip was planned for two full days of shooting, but because it gets dark late in the summer, we had plenty of time to find the best spots and hike to the right places to set up and start photographing.
The puffins are fast in the air but slow and a bit clumsy on land, which provides many opportunities to compose the right shots and carefully consider how you frame the birds. On this trip, I decided to get down low and capture the puffins near their burrows and when they were trying to hide in the grass.
But it’s difficult not to get distracted with so much happening around you non-stop, and it can get quite intense at times trying to single out what to photograph.
With its vivid orange beak, bright feet, and striking black-and-white plumage, the puffin is a bird that seems almost too charming to be real. Its gentle, curious expression and comical waddle give it a playful, almost cartoon-like presence, while its grace in flight reveals a powerful and agile seabird.
Perched on a windswept cliff or diving through the waves with a beak full of fish, the puffin is a perfect blend of beauty, character, and resilience. It’s probably also one of the most photographed birds in the world—and when you’re up close with them, you understand why.
The timing of our trip wasn’t ideal, as the birds hadn’t started feeding their chicks yet. When that happens, they go fishing in the ocean and return with fish in large numbers—offering fantastic photo opportunities.
Nonetheless, we managed to capture some really nice shots, though we had to work hard for them. Hauling all your camera gear to the top of a cliff can be quite challenging—especially when your fitness level is low.
But if you want the photos, there’s no time to complain or feel sorry for yourself—you just hike up, step by step, and then you get to work. The minute you get home, you really feel the consequences, but at least you have the photos to show for it.
Getting to and from Mykines can be quite challenging due to the weather, with waves often making it difficult for the boat to dock safely. Because of this, we were the only three photographers on the island for two full days, which meant we could move freely without getting in anyone’s way.
That’s a privilege—fewer people means the birds aren’t constantly being disturbed. It also allowed us to stay in one place longer, focus on finding the right background for our images, or simply sit quietly and enjoy the experience.
Sometimes, it’s actually nice to put the camera away and just enjoy the moment—it’s a privilege to even be there!
