You’re watching a live webcam from Sumba, Faroe Islands – a tiny village right at the far southern edge of the country. Sumba sits on the island of Suðuroy, and it’s considered the southernmost village in the Faroe Islands, facing straight out into the North Atlantic.
The settlement stretches along a narrow valley on the south-western coast of Suðuroy, with houses lined up between steep green slopes and the sea. The community is small: the village itself has around 240–250 residents, while the wider Sumbiar municipality is home to just over 300 people. So when you look at this online camera, you’re basically seeing almost the whole place at once – streets, harbor, church and many of the homes.
One of the most striking features you might catch on the stream is the massive Beinisvørð sea cliff rising north of the village. This cliff reaches roughly 470 meters above the ocean and drops almost vertically to the waves on its western side. From some webcam angles, you see that iconic profile behind the colorful houses, which makes Sumba instantly recognizable. It’s one of the highest bird cliffs in the Faroe Islands, and locals used to climb it to harvest seabirds – a risky job where some people sadly lost their lives.
Sumba itself is one of the oldest Faroese villages, with archaeological traces going back to around the 7th century. The name comes from an old word meaning roughly “southern village”, which fits perfectly once you zoom out on a map. High mountains separate Sumba from the rest of Suðuroy, and for a long time it was quite isolated, especially in winter storms. Today there is a road tunnel connecting Sumba with Lopra and the rest of the island, so people no longer rely only on the old mountain road.
In the middle of the village stands the church from 1887, and around it you’ll see the classic Faroese mix of turf and metal roofs, bright paint and neat fences. On the live stream you might spot fishing boats near the harbor, sheep on the slopes above the houses, and quick changes in weather – sun, low clouds, mist off the ocean, sometimes all in one hour. That’s very typical for this part of the North Atlantic.
Locals, known as Sumbingar, are famous for the Faroese chain dance and traditional ballads. One of the best-known Faroese poets, Poul F. Joensen, was born here.
