Unique beaches of Northern Norway

The distinctive white beaches in the north are formed by degraded calcareous shells from shellfish and marine organisms. The ravages of time have ground these pieces down to tiny particles, which today make it very comfortable for Arctic visitors to lie on. Should you get so comfortable that you fall asleep to the sound of the rhythmic waves, the good news is that you don’t really need to worry about getting particularly sunburnt…

Nor do you need to worry about being run off a Northern Norwegian beach. In Norway, the law of public right of access is strong. This right means that all of nature, including the greater part of the long coastline, is open to all. That means that anyone who wants, can anchor a boat, put up a tent, or, yes, spend a summer night on, for instance, a beach. With a few provisions and a desire to explore you can thus become king or queen of your own island – as long as the royal highnesses remember to clean up after themselves after abdicating.

Because, unfortunately, Norwegian beaches are not exempt from marine pollution. In recent years, however, Norwegians and visitors alike have become more conscious of the big problem related to pollution of the oceans, and how plastic garbage affects animal life along the coastlines. This has led to countless volunteer cleanup campaigns, where anyone who wants to can help make a difference for the environment. Often such cleanup campaigns turn into social events, where you get the chance to meet the local driving forces while helping protect the unique, Arctic nature for posterity.

The absence of annoying beach vendors, noisy beach promenades, and already occupied beach beds is probably caused by only one thing. The water temperature. It rarely creeps above 15 degrees Celsius, and swimming this far north is indeed for the hardier souls. Still, by learning from the locals, you can frolic in the waves without screaming in too high of a voice. When the locals go swimming on chilly days, they wear a so-called “Northern Norwegian swimsuit” – also known as a wetsuit. We warmly recommend using one of these, pun intended. The suit insulates against the wet element by letting in a thin layer of water underneath the fabric. This water stays fairly lukewarm because of the wearer’s own body heat, and that’s how you can enjoy even Northern Norwegian bathing facilities!

There are loads of activity options for those who are willing to enter the Arctic saltwater. The beach at Unstad in Lofoten is famous for being one of the country’s best, and definitely one of the world’s most exotic surfing destinations. Surfers from all over the world have found their way to this spectacular beach since the 1960s. Here, the Atlantic waves come rolling in between Arctic mountains, before they break against the beach at the end of the fjord. Whether you surf in the summer under the midnight sun – or in the middle of winter with the Aurora Borealis dancing in the sky above – experiences like these are hard to come by on most beaches around the world.

Just remember your “Northern Norwegian swimsuit”.. or don´t :)