Where Are The Elves Sailing To?

In Middle-earth, Elves become weary of their years and are burdened with sea-longing. They take ship from the Grey Havens to Valinor, where they can sail across the sea to the Undying Lands if they choose. The Undying Lands were removed forever from mortal men’s reach, but Elves could still sail West after a long life in Middle-earth.

In The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, Elves witness a mass death when they set sail for Middle-earth to wage war against Morgoth and his chief lieutenant, Sauron. During the conflict, Galdriel’s brother Finrod (Will Fletcher) is mentioned as the Undying Lands.

At the end of the Third Age of Middle-earth, many elves and some hobbits sail into the West. At the end of The Lord of the Rings story, Valinor was the final destination for Bilbo, Frodo, and Gandalf who accompanied the Elves on a ship. The Valar gave the Elves the inner desire to travel across the sea to Valinor, so that their spirits could be restored.

Eldamar, the land of the Elves, is permitted to live in Valinor as immortals. The first appearance of Valinor in Tolkien’s legendarium location is in The Hobbit.

In summary, Elves, dwarves, and mortals have different experiences in Middle-earth, with some settling in Valinor and others sailing to the Undying Lands. The Valar grants the Elves the inner desire to travel to Valinor, where they can restore their spirits and live as immortals.