Gjesvær
How to reach Gjesvær?
Gjesvær is a fishing village with 130 inhabitants, located on Magerøya, an Island in the Northernmost Region of continental Norway - called Finnmark. Gjesvær is also part of the North Cape municipality, the destination that attracts many tourists and cruise ships from all over the world, due to its location, 71 °N.
To reach Gjesvær you have two options:
Take a flight from Oslo to Tromsø and from Tromsø you can rent a car and head towards Honningsvåg. The distance between the two cities is 532 km, so it takes 9-10 hours by car. After you reached Honningsvåg, you can stay overnight in the city, and visit the following days the fishing village of Gjesvær, located 36 km from Honningsvåg.
Take a flight from Oslo to Alta and from Alta drive, or take the bus towards Honningsvåg. Honningsvåg is 200 km away from Alta, so it takes about 3 hours if you go by car. This option is more expensive, due to the expensive flights, but more convenient if you want to save time, and drive fewer kilometres.
Best time to visit Gjesvaer
I recommend visiting Gjesvaer during the summer season, from mid-Mai until mid-September. If you want to go during the winter season, expect bad weather and many snow storms. Often the roads are closed in the winter, due to the strong wind gusts, and snow on the road.
Climate
On the Island of Magerøya, there is a subarctic climate, due to the Gulf Stream phenomenon, which means that there is not much difference between the mid-temperatures of the winter and summer. Summers are cool with just 10°C mid-temperature. The warmest month is July, sometimes we can also reach 20-25 °C, but it doesn't happen very often. In the winter, it doesn’t get very cold, thanks to the Gulf Stream, the mid-temperature is -4 °C. The coldest it can get is -10°C, but it feels colder, due to the cold wind coming from the Arctic Ocean.
Why should you visit Gjesvær?
Gjesvær gets outshined by a more popular place - the North Cape; tourists go straight to see the globe that represents the Northernmost point of continental Europe, and they forget to venture into the beautiful surroundings of Mageroya's Island.
Gjesvær is considered a hidden gem in the Arctic, which makes this undiscovered place, a paradise worth visiting. The fishing village, it's a very special place to me, and my favourite location on the Island of Magerøya. I used to live here for 6 months, and despite its isolated location, I never got bored. There are many hikes that you can do in the summer, nature is wild and untouched, with spectacular views overlooking the sea. Is the only fishing village on the Island with a small grocery shop, and even a café where the local community gets together.
where to stay?
Located in Gjesvaer, this amazing apartment has the best view of the natural reserve. It has a sauna and a hot tub on the terrace.
As the name suggests, the Hotel has an amazing view overlooking the northernmost city of Europe. Located in Honningsvag (35 km from Gjesvaer), is ideal if you are looking for comfort. The Hotel offers complimentary breakfast, a sauna, a steam room, a hot tub and a gym.
Activities in Gjesvær
Paddleboarding and Kayaking
The fishing village is known for its beautiful Islands and crystal clear waters. While I was living in Gjesvær, I bought a paddleboard and explored the beautiful nature. A ‘must’ if you come here during the Summer. Just be careful not to fall into the water, it can be pretty cold, 3 °C in the winter, and 9 °C during the summer. Some people try to swim in the summer, my record is 15 seconds!
Bird Safari Tour
If you are looking for an unforgettable experience in contact with nature, you should do the Bird Safari Tour. The two hours-long boat tour leaves from Gjesvær to Gjesværstappan — a Nature Reserve, known to be a bird paradise for nature lovers — located 15 km west of the North Cape cliff. From mid-April until the end of August, this place is the nesting ground for many species of birds: more than one million puffins are coming for nesting, and they are easily recognisable by their colourful beak and nesting holes in the grassy hills. You can also spot many eagles, while they are hunting for their prey; you will see mostly White-tailed eagles and some Golden eagles. You can also find Guillemots, Razorbills, Cormorants, Arctic Skuas, Fulmars, and Gannets are also part of the flourishing bird life in Gjesværstappan. To set foot on the islands is not allowed, but from the boat, you can observe close one of Norway’s largest nesting paradise. Sometimes, is also possible to see some seals and whales, like the Harbour Porpoises, that belong to the family of dolphins.
Hike to Lysøynæringen Viewpoint
The trip starts 6 km before reaching the fishing village of Gjesvær. At the beginning of the trail, there is a small sign with a big red T, that marks the starting point.
The distance is about 4.4 km, and it takes 1.5 hours to reach the viewpoint. Click here, If you want to check the Norwegian hiking map. I like to call this hike, ‘‘the secret Lofoten of Magerøya’’, thanks to its dramatic landscape similar to the Lofoten Islands, just with no mass tourism. At the viewpoint's arrival, you can also find a visitor book hidden inside a mailbox, where you can sign up with your name and date, and leave your mark in Gjesvær.
Camp to Lilletuva Viewpoint with the midnight sun
Gjesvær area is the best place on the island to admire the midnight sun season and what better way to do it than from your camping tent! To reach the viewpoint — the hike starts just before the village of Gjesvær. You will find the beginning of the trail marked, next to a red house, before the little bridge that connects to the village of Gjesvaer. The trail is marked with the red T symbol written on a stone and a clear sign for Lilletuva's viewpoint. The hike takes one hour (one way), and once you reach the viewpoint, you can enjoy the magnificent views of Måsøy, Hjelmesøy, and the Nature Reserve of Gjesværstappan.
Midnight sun season
There is no secret that the population on Magerøya wakes up to life when the most breathtaking summer nights brighten up the island. In the North Cape municipality, the sun stays shining in the sky for over 1,800 hours without setting. Gjesvear is one of the best places on the island to see when this phenomenon occurs — the 14th of May (but is always good to check every year the exact date, because it changes) — you can see how the sun touches the sea, then it changes idea, and it comes back high in the sky. If you are lucky enough to have a clear day, you will experience this unique phenomenon and see the bright light of the sun changing into purple-red. The midnight sun season ends on the 29th of July on the Island of Magerøya.
The golden rules for camping wild in Norway
Camping in some of the world’s most dramatic terrain, is one of the best things about a trip to Norway. And the bonus — it keeps costs down in what is otherwise an expensive country to travel around. Also, there’s nothing like listening to the call of oystercatchers and crashing waves, from the comfort of your sleeping bag. Or waking up with the sun, sticking your head out of your tent, and watching some reindeer walking by. Wild camping is allowed almost everywhere in Norway, and with a lake just a few steps away, you can freshen up with a dip in the morning – it gives an endorphin rush like no other.
A longstanding law called allemannsretten (loosely translated as ‘the right to roam’) — allows everyone to camp in the wild, anywhere in open country, for free. It gives fantastic freedom, there are just some rules that you have to keep in mind:
your pitch needs to be 150 meters away from the nearest house
it is preferable not to camp for longer than 2 nights in the same spot, so that you don’t leave any marks on the ground
Just try not to leave any trace of your stay, have common sense and respect for nature.
Spot the Northern Lights
During the winter period of the Polar Nights, you can experience natural fireworks in the sky at Magerøya, due to the long periods of darkness, from the 20th of November until the 22nd of January.
You can start to spot already this phenomenon at the beginning of September, but the best season is from mid-October until the end of March. Even though the best Northern Lights I saw, were in September and at the beginning of April.
In the winter, from November until January, the Island experiences many snow storms, that’s why is not ideal for seeing the Northern Lights. If you are lucky enough, the lights will dance above your head in a mix of colours and take you on a magical adventure. Northern lights can last from 20 minutes to one hour, and we usually see them from 8 PM until 12 AM.
Reindeer
Another reason to come to Gjesvær during the summer, is for the reindeer. On the Island of Magerøya there are 6000 domesticated reindeer — by the Sami people (the local indigenous population). They arrive on Magerøya at the end of April, transported with a ferry by the Sami, and after the summer — in October — they have enough fat and energy, and they are able to swim in the sea for 2 km, back on the mainland of Norway, where they spend the winter season. In the summer they eat moss and lichen, and they have to move to the mainland for the winter period, due to the stormy weather that we have on the island — that it’s too extreme even for the reindeer.
Don’t be surprised if you spot some reindeer walking inside the tunnel, they usually hide to cool from the ‘heat’ of the summer months.
In Norway, there are 70.000 wild reindeer, and you can find them on the Archipelago of Svalbard and in Hardangervidda — the biggest National Park of Norway, between Oslo and Bergen.
Discover more about the Sami culture
The Sami are the indigenous population of the North. Today there are Sami living in Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. There are also people in North America (Canda-Alaska), that share the Sami culture and heritage from the arctic and sub-arctic regions of Scandinavia. In Norway, there are approximately 50.000 Sami, and we have 6 Sami families living on the Island of Magerøya. Some of them, still dress in the traditional clothes of the Sami culture and they speak the Sami language at home, which is very different from Norwegian. In fact, the Sami language belongs to the Uralic languages, like Finnish, Hungarian and Estonian.
It is very important not to call the Sami people — Lapps, because it was used as an offensive word in the past, meaning poverty.
The Sami on this Island, own a souvenir shop, and some live with reindeer herding tradition. In Norway, just Sami are allowed to have reindeer, unlike in Finland, where anyone can breed them.
If you are ever gonna meet the Sami people on the island, try to discover more about their culture. The only thing that you should never ask them, is how many reindeer do they have, because is private information, like asking ‘‘how much money do you have in your bank account?’’ — It can be perceived as unrespectful.
Local food
The fishing industry is the main industry on the Island. In this area of Norway we can find cod, king crab, halibut, pollock and salmon. Expect a lot of fish in the Norwegian diet. If you are travelling in Northern Norway, I recommend trying:
Reindeer Filet
Norwegians like their reindeer cooked into a hearty stew called finnbiff, or a reindeer roast that is topped with thick gravy and served with lingonberry jam. Expect the lean meat to have a rich, gamey flavour.
King Crab
King Crab is a delicacy in Northern Noway, and you don’t have to feel bad when you eat it, because they have no predators, therefore too many King Crabs live in the Barents Sea. They are originally from Kamchatka - Russia, and they arrived in Norway at the end of the ’80s. In Norway, they are fishing commercially King Crabs since 2001, and today 1 kg is sold for €50 ($54).
The King Crab gets cooked in the boiled water that they take from the sea. There is no need to add any seasoning, because it’s naturally rich in flavour. It gets served with the typical white Norwegian bread and mayonnaise. This recipe is so simple, but delicious at the same time, that you are going to be surprised by the rich flavours.
Fried Cod
Cod fishing on Magerøya’s Island, is bigger than the salmon industry. You definitely have to try the fried cod if you come here. Usually, it gets served with mashed potatoes or fried vegetables.
Cloudberries
Cloudberries are the typical fruits growing in the Arctic Regions. They are very rich in vitamins and antioxidants. The cloudberries grow on the island during the summer season, and we collect them from August until the beginning of September.
They are often used in desserts — it’s very common for locals to prepare the cloudberry sauce, which you can add for example on the ice cream, or with a parfait.
You should definitely try the Norwegian waffles, with brown cheese and cloudberry jam.
Stockfish
Stockfish is unsalted fish, dried by cold air and wind, on wooden racks on the foreshore. These wooden racks are called “Hjell” in Norwegian. The drying of the food is the world’s oldest known preservation method. It’s cheap and effective, and dried fish can be stored for several years. The stockfish racks can be found in many different locations across the island, there are also some in Gjesvær.
