Activities

Activities for everyone to ENJOY 🙂

NordKapp 71°10′21″N, 25°47′40″E

North Cape (Norwegian: Nordkapp; Northern Sami: Davvenjárga) is the northernmost point in Europe that can be accessed by car which makes the road E69 the northernmost public road in Europe. It’s a cape on the northern coast of the island of Magerøya where you can get driving through North Cape Tunnel (Nordkapptunnelen) – one of the longest and the northernmost of the subsea road tunnels in Norway (6,875 km, 9% grade, lowest elevation: – 212 m).

The cape includes a 307-metre-high cliff (1,007 ft) with a large flat plateau on top, where you can watch the midnight sun and views of the sea to the north. The North Cape is the point where the Norwegian Sea, part of the Atlantic Ocean meets the Barents Sea, part of the Arctic Ocean. 

You can also visit North Cape Hall, a modern visitor centre, built in 1988 on the plateau. It includes a café, restaurant, post office, souvenir shop, a small museum, and video cinema where you can watch panoramic videos about this amazing region. You can also learn more about the early expeditions to North Cape – the first explorers reached here in the middle of 16th century in search of the Northeast Passage, more than a hundred years later Italian priest Francesco Negri described Nordkapp as purely a tourist trip, but Nordkapp became the real touristic attraction after 1873, when King Oscar climbed these steep cliffs and his effort sparked great interest all over the world.  The mountain cliff is a spectacular place for experiencing both the Northern Lights  in the winter and Midnight Sun in summer (in Nordkapp the sun doesn’t set between May and July).

You can see our camp from the road E69! We are located only 16 km from Nordkapp.

Hornvika The original Nordkapp trail hike

Hornvika is the original entrance of the Nordkapp, used in the past by the royals and adventurers. Hornvika was the former landing site for the tourist ships to visit Nordkapp. Before the road to Nordkapp was completed in 1956, all visitors had to be shipped ashore to Hornvika and then climb 300 metres (985 feet) up the steep mountain to get to the North Cape Plateau. Today you can follow their steps (the organised trips from SkarsvĂĄg include boat travel to Hornvika along fjords)! Along the way to Hornvika you can admire a spectacular rock formation known as the Horn or Hornet, which the Sami People considered to be a sacred place, offering gifts there in the hope of good fortune. 

SkarsvĂĄg The northernmost fishing village

Hytte Camp is located only ca 2 km from SkarsvĂĄg, a lovely, little village , known as the world’s northernmost fishing village. The local fishing fleet primarily fishes for cod in the waters north of Magerøya – you can get one as well, taking fishing boat trip in the local port. SkarsvĂĄg has short distance to famous fishing grounds and the banks outside North Cape. You can also spend nice time in the village. There are only about 60 residents in SkarsvĂĄg – most of them working in the fishing industry, so the place is quiet and relaxing. You can experience the local life and culture, admire the surrounding landscapes or to take a trip to Hornvika or other beautiful places around the village. In the village you’ll also find a well-known… Christmas shop. 🙂 In the summer the reindeers are everywhere!

Fishing here is one of the best in Norway

Nordkapp is one of the best places in Norway to catch cod, halibut, haddock, catfish, ling, redfish and others. SkarsvĂĄg has the best coastal fishing grounds. Taking a boat trip with guide you will get exciting fishing experience with stunning views of Nordkapp and the Barents sea (the only land between you and North Pole is Svalbard). You can also fish in the fjords, from the shore, or in the lakes with spinning of fly to catch a trout or smoke.

The best time to catch cod is the winter-spring period – you have the biggest chance to catch specimen exceeding 20 kg! The largest halibut, in turn, are caught at the turn of August and September. The record-breaking halibut caught in the waters surrounding the island weighed 220 kg!

During the boat fishing trip you can also see and hold the King Crabs which grow up to 2 metres wide and weigh up to 15 kg – one of the most impressive creatures of the Barents Sea. It’s one of the most expensive and expensive Norwegian delicacies, traditionally served with bread, mayonnaise and lemon.

Bird watching in the Gjesværstappan Nature Reserve

The Gjesværstappan Nature Reserve, 15 km west of the Nordkapp cliff, is one of the biggest european birds’ collony. Gjesværstappan is a group of high, steep-sided, grass-covered islands which are located north of the island village of Gjesvær in Nordkapp Municipality in roms og Finnmark county, Norway. The three main islands are Storstappen, Kjerkestappen, and Bukkstappen. The islands contain a large colony of seabirds and have been designated a nature reserve since 1983. The land area of the reserve is 1.7 square kilometres (0.66 sq mi), but the reserve also includes 5.5 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi) of the sea surrounding the islands. The largest colonies of cliff-breeding seabirds are mainly located on the bird cliffs of the biggest island, Storstappen, and between June 15 and August 15 visitors are not allowed to set foot on this island.

The colony is regarded as important because of the large numbers of birds: one of Norway’s largest groups of Atlantic puffins, easily recognisable by their colourful bill, black-legged kittiwakes, great cormorants, European shags, common murres, arctic skuas, fulmars, gannets and razorbills. You can observe them from a boat, taking a trip from Gjesvær, an old fishgibg village in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, the only place in Finnmark known from the Viking Age, mentioned in the Heimskringla saga as Geirsver. 

Reindeers feel like Christmas in the summer 🙂

At summertime you can meet flocks of grazing reindeers almost everywhere! Don’t be surprised if the reindeer suddenly shows up in the camp and be careful while driving on the island, you never know when these stubborn animals decide to cross the road. The Magerøya island is home to approximately 5,000 domesticated reindeers! The animals are owned traditionally by Sámi families – reindeer husbandry today in Norway is a small industry on a national scale, but both in a Sámi and local context, it has great importance not only economically, but also as one of the most important parts of the Sámi culture.

Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)

The best place to see beautiful dancing waves of light, called northern lights or aurora borealis, is any destination in the auroral zone – the area within an approximately 1,550-mile (2,500 kilometers) radius of the North Pole. At 71° degrees, Nordkapp is so far north that the strength of the aurora borealis hardly matters, as long as the sky is clear – the northern lights are happening 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, but you must „hunt”/spot for them because of the weather. You can usually observe them on Nordkapp from September till February/March. you need to be at the right place at the right time, when the sky is clear!

What exactly are northern lights? Citing the Space.com portal: Energized particles from the sun slam into Earth’s upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million kph), but our planet’s magnetic field protects us from the onslaught. As Earth’s magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles (there are southern lights, too) – this dramatic, violent process transforms into a cinematic atmospheric phenomenon that dazzles and fascinates scientists and skywatchers alike.

Midnattsol Midnight sun

As you visit us between May and August, you will experience midnight sun, when the sun lays over the horizon all 24 hours. At Nordkapp the sun is up to 1800 hours without setting, so you can enjoy the sun during night! The midnight sun is affected by how the earth and the sun move in relation to each other. During Midnattsol Northern Norway is facing the sun (in the winter it is the opposite, then the earth is turned away from the sun and we have polar night).

At Hytte Camp we have solid curtains, so you could sleep well during Sunny nights. But don’t miss (and don’t sleep over!) the opportunity to experience midnight sun and sunbathing in the middle of the night – don’t forget to take with you double stock of SPF cream:-) It’s really unique!

Kirkeporten The rock gate

This natural rock formation shaped like an arche is a geological wonder of Nordkapp. Through this „gate” you can look over the Mefjord to the North Cape, with its famous North Cape Horn (Hornet). Kirkeporten and the North Cape Horn were both traditional Sami places of sacrifice. The midnight sun shines through this gate between midnight and two in the morning. It’s just 15 min walk from Skarsvag, about 2,5 km from our camp.

HonningsvĂĄg Small Big city

HonningsvĂĄg is the northernmost city located in Nordkapp Municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, only 22 km from Hytte Camp. It’s one of the smallest cities in Norway with population over 2,400 people. HonningsvĂĄg is situated at a bay on the southeastern side of the island of Magerøya and it is a port of call for Hurtigruten Coastal Express and cruise ships, especially in the summer months. The ice-free ocean (the southwestern part of the Barents Sea) provides rich fisheries and tourism is also important to the town. You can find here North Cape Tourist Information.

It’s worthy to spend some time in The North Cape Museum – a local heritage museum which presents the local history from the Stone Age to modern times. After the stroll through the lovely harbour you can do shopping in local shops and galleris or visit the small charming church built on a little hill in 1885. You can’t also miss the Bamse Statue – he was a St. Bernard dog that became the heroic mascot of the Free Norwegian Forces during the Second World War, the crew member and the symbol of Norwegian freedom during the war.

Enjoy YOUR stay at Base Camp 🙂

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us before you book your stay: office@hyttecamp.com
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