Drive it Yourself: Honningsvåg to North Cape via the Fishing Villages
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Watch on Youtube
All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like.
The drive: Honningsvåg to North Cape
Honningsvåg
This drive begins in Honningsvåg, the northernmost city in the world. You can find a detailed overview to Honningsvåg via the link below.
Skipsfjorden
Fjord/Scenic Spot
This is a small fjord located by the airport. It has a maximum depth of 101m. Close to the fjord is the Copacabana Beach, where the locals go swimming in the summer.
Kamøyvær
Village
Kamøyvær is a small town with a population of around 70. The town is predominantly a fishing village. It’s believed the first peoples here were the Sami and Kven people, with Norwegians settling later. A Sami family owns the Arran hotel, which are the three blue buildings in the town. Here you’ll find the Gallery – East of the Sun, a small harbourside gallery where resident German artist Eva Scmutterer exhibits a collection of intriguing, Arctic-inspired paintings.
Gjesvær
Village
Gjesvær is located 14km outside of Honningsvåg and truly feels isolated. Located 14km In fact, until the road was completed in the 1970s, this was one of the most isolated villages in the area. Gjesvaer has a recorded history that dates to the Viking times. The Vikings came here for fishing and to harvest sea birds, especially puffins and kittiwakes, who congregate on the offshore islets that are now protected as the Gjesværstappan Nature Reserve.
In Gjesvaer you can do bird safaris to Gjesvaerstappen.
Skarsvåg
Detour
Skarsvåg is the world’s northernmost fishing village, located just south of North Cape. Around 60 people live in the village and most of them work in the fishing industry. In the village you’ll also find a well-known Christmas shop.
Knivskjellodden
Hike
Knviskjellodden is a peninsula and the true northernmost point on the island. It is sometimes considered the northernmost point of the entire continent of Europe. Knivskjellodden can only be reached on foot, and it is 9km (5.6 mi) one way. This is where you park the car to start the hike.
North Cape
You can find our detailed overview of North Cape via the link below.
Where to Go From Here
After our visit to Honningsvåg and North Cape, we continue to Hammerfest – the northernmost city in the world (with a population over 10,000 people).
This drive is part of the multi-day series “From Tromsø to North Cape and back again”. You can view the entire drive via the link below.
If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!
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