VISIT THE VERY TOP OF THE WORLD. YOU CAN DRIVE NO FURTHER
A TOTALLY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
The Globe monument at the Nordkapp. 24 Hour daylight with plenty of sunshine.The road to the Nordkapp is only open from around May until September. Outside those months you have to use a snow scooter to get to the cape but the visitor centre is not open. Go in the Summer! | Adventures at 71 degrees North in Honningsvag. Here you are about 35 Km from the Nordkapp. It is the last city (with just under 2500 inhabitants) on the Norwegian mainland. There are a few small hamlets off the main road before the Nordkapp. The cruise ships call into the pretty harbour. |
| | Tip: Are you looking for a holiday home to rent in Northern Norway? Novasol are probably the best company to use. You have never heard of them because, even though they have properties all over Europe, they have none in Britain. We give you the chance to use this company. The banner is in German. To get English just click on the banner and when the site opens up look for Deutsch or German at the top. Click on this and a language menu will open up allowing you to select English to search for your holiday home. |
This is the weather at the Nordkapp. 71 degrees North. The furthest North that you can drive in Europe. In summer you can join the thousands of other people who come here to photograph the midnight sun. There is a modern visitor centre with a cafe, a picture house showing a film about the area, a souvenir shop whose prices are remarkably reasonable compared with other places. and a viewing area. Outside there is a globe monument and big wheelstones depicting each continent. At midnight on a clear Summer evening the atmosphere is magical. Nothing happens, the sun looks the same at 11p.m. or 1 a.m. but you are on a large plateau 300M. above the sea at what is "the end of the world". You have done it and.like many others, you have a sense of achievement.
The North Cape, the Northernmost point in Norway, (actually the cape to the left is slightly further North but there is no road to it) is 2580 Km from Lindesnes Fyr (lighthouse) which is the Southernmost point. Many people cycle from the Nordkapp to Lindesnes. If you feel like a challenge then that is a good one. If you do visit the North Cape you have to go through an undersea tunnel from the mainland to the island of MagerØy. The tunnel is nearly 7Km long and 212M. below the sea. The toll is about NOK 200. There is also a fee for the very large carpark at the North Cape. The fee is also about NOK 200 but it covers you for 48 hours and you can get a pass to come in and out. Many people with camper vans park there for two days.
For the Nordkapp you need the E6 from Alta to Olderfjord and then the E69 to HonningsvØg and on to the Nordkapp. If you have time, and the weather is clear, follow the road from Honningsvag towards the Nordkapp and after about 20 km. turn right onto RV171 which leads to SkarsvØg. There is a community centre on the left hand side of the road by a cafe (kro). On the left here (you can ask for directions from anyone you see there are not many people or houses here so you won't get lost.) there is a path climbing up about 60M. over the hill. Down the other side you will find a big rock with a hole in it. You can look through this and get a view of the Nordkapp framed by the hole in the rock.
My wife and I in the midnight sun at the Nordkapp June 2012 | SkarsvØg, through the hole you can see the Nordkapp |
If you look at the weather forecast for the Nordkapp you will see that it is not really that cold up here in the winter. England can often be colder. If, however, you go inland in Finnmark you will find severly low temperatures, usually the lowest in Norway. The sea is a big moderating influence on the temperature.
The peaceful little port of Honningsvag at 71 degrees north is the jumping off point for the Nordkapp. Up here it does not get dark for weeks during the summer. There is an ice bar in town and a couple of hotels, plus adventures at 71 degrees north company.. The North Cape is about 25 Km further north and that is the end of the road. Honningsvag has only 2,500 people but has its own airport. | Heading up through the rapids into the Alta river canyon, the largest in Northern Europe and a great 20Km trip. Ask at the Alta tourist office about where to join the guide. The special boats only take up to about 8 people. You can often go on the spur of the moment without the need to book. The trip is not expensive and nothing like as commercial as the Grand Canyon. Like everything in Norway it is very natural , laid back and more enjoyable without the tourist hordes. |
The visitor centre at the Nordkapp with people waiting for midnight to photograph the midnight sun. This is 71 degrees north. You are well inside the Arctic Circle here but the summer temperatures are fine. Usually 10-20C | Reindeer near Alta in Northern Norway. You will see them all over the place and have to take care not to drive into them. Which one is Rudolph? They are actually smaller than we thought they would be. |
