| Værøy | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms  | |
| State | Norway |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern Norway |
| Capital | Sørland |
| Surface | 18 km² |
| Inhabitants | 800 (2008) |
| Tourism site | |
| Institutional website | |
Værøy is a small island in the archipelago of Lofoten, in Norway.
To know
It is famous for both its landscapes and the abundance of puffins that nest here during the summer.
Geographical notes
Værøy is known to be the north-most point on Earth without a meteorological winter (for example, the average temperature does not drop below freezing during the winter). That said, it may freeze occasionally in the winter. The weather can change very quickly and you can experience two seasons a day (autumn and winter; don't expect any summer around here).
When to go
The Lofoten lie beyond the Arctic Circle. Despite this, the climate is characterized by rather mild temperatures mainly thanks to the Gulf Stream. The minimum temperature recorded in 2009 was -13.1 ° C on 7 February, while the maximum was 26.6 ° C on 3 August. The lowest average monthly temperatures in 2009 were recorded in December (-0.8 ° C) and February (-2 ° C).
Given the latitude, the Lofoten are affected by the phenomenon of the midnight sun and considered an excellent observation point for northern lights.
Spoken languages
Norwegian of course. Most people speak English, albeit a little less than in the rest of Norway.
Territories and tourist destinations
Værøy: full screen map.Urban centers
There are less than 800 inhabitants on the island. Most of them live in the town of Sørland and on flat farmland in the mountains.
How to get
Information offices
- 1 Turistkontor ferjekaia (Tourist office) (In front of the ferry), ☎ 47 75420614, @[email protected]. It opens when the ferry arrives, and closes 30mn later (starting summer 2015). Free maps and information about Værøy. The staff speaks English.
- 2 Turistkontor Husfliden sentrum (In the center of Sørland), ☎ 47 75420614, @[email protected].
9h45-12h and 13h-14h30 (Monday-Friday), 9h45-12h (Saturday) starting from summer 2015. Free maps and information about Værøy. English speaking staff. They also sell handcrafted souvenirs and crafts.
9h45-12h and 13h-14h30 (Monday-Friday), 9h45-12h (Saturday) starting from summer 2015. Free maps and information about Værøy. English speaking staff. They also sell handcrafted souvenirs and crafts.
By helicopter
Air flights are suspended due to a plane crash in 1990. However, some helicopter flights are still possible from Bodø (total flight time: 25 minutes):
- 9:00 am departure from Bodø, arrival 9:25 am in Værøy
- 16.30 departure from Bodø, arrival 16.55 in Værøy
Return flights depart from Varoy 20 minutes after arrival (for example, at 9:45 am and 5:15 pm). Reservations a Lufttransport (Telephone 75431800).
Værøy is approximately 1h30 by ferry from Moskenes and 5h45 from Bodø (Street Røst). It is operated by North Torghatten. There is no ferry terminal in the strict sense, but a small waiting room (with only 6 seats!), Toilets, and tourist information which is only open during the first 30 minutes after the ferry arrives . From the ferry a 2 km walk leads to Sørland.
From Moskenes
- Departure from Moskenes at 08:15, arriving in Værøy at 09:45 (every day except Sunday, starting summer 2015).
- Departure from Væroy at 10:15 pm, arrival in Moskenes at 11:59 pm (every day except Saturday, starting from summer 2015).
Ferry from Bodø
- 04:30 Departure from Bodø, arrival 11:30 in Værøy (every day except Sunday, starting summer 2015).
- 04:30 Departure from Bodø, arrival at 22:15 (or 07:45 on Tuesdays) (every day except Saturday, starting summer 2015).
How to get around
By public transport
There is no public transport on Væroy. Taxi service:
- Værøy Drosjeservice (Taxi), ☎ 47 99 414198, @[email protected].
By car
Much of the island is not accessible by car and can only be reached on foot after a long walk passing north of Værøy. As of 2015, the road to the Heia peak is closed to cars. Hence, a car is quite useless on Væroy.
On foot
It is definitely the best way to explore Værøy. An alternative is to cycle to Nordland and explore the rest of the island on foot. But this excludes the possibility to then climb to Heia and return to Sørland, which can only be done on foot.
What see
- 1 New church of Værøy (In the center of Sørland). Built in 1939.
- 2 Old church of Værøy (in Nordland, near the airport), @[email protected]. A beautiful red wooden church built around 1740 in Vågan and moved to Værøy in 1799. Contains statues from Nottingham (England) dating back to 1430. Closed for renovations starting from 2015.
- 3 Ørnhus (House of the Eagles). Only ruins.
- Puffins. they nest here during the summer.
- Midnight Sun . This natural spectacle is called the midnight sun: the sun reaches its lowest level for the summer period until 01:00. The midnight sun can be observed from May 27th to July 17th.
- northern Lights
What to do
Swim from the island's many white sand beaches. Don't forget that the water is quite cold, even in summer.
- 1 Nordlanshagen beach (6 km from Sørland). A beautiful beach of almost white sand. Parking, free toilets, drainage systems for campers.
- 2 Punn Sanden beach (south of the Heia peak). A beautiful beach of almost white sand; reachable only from the sea.
- Sørlandshagen beach.
Hiking
There are many trails on the island, for example:
- Go to Nordlanshagen beach following the road (6km from Sørland)
- Heia peak hike (2h from Sørland, 2h one way from Nordlanshagen).
- Go to the western (and much less accessible) part of the island (about 2 hours starting from Nordlanshagen), up to Mastad.
The routes are clearly marked, and generally in good condition. Some routes are not easy at all, as they can get very steep, particularly between Nordlanshagen and Hornet. In any case, a lot of wind is expected! Also note that the maps provided by the tourist information (and available at several points in Værøy) are quite patchy.
Shopping
Due to the limited choice and high prices, it is best to bring your own food from the mainland.
- 1 Coop Prix (In the same building as Cafè Supern), ☎ 47 76095319.
50% more than in mainland Norway. 9h-19h (Monday to Friday), 9h-18h (Saturday). Reasonable size supermarket with many products. Free mailbox and toilet at the entrance. - 2 Kiosken, ☎ 47 93495497, @[email protected]. 19h-22h (Monday to Saturday), 18h-22h (Sunday). Small grocery store that opens when Coop Prix closes; also sells souvenirs.
- 3 Lofoten Sjokolade (Chocolate shop and factory) (In the old airport terminal), @[email protected]. high (70kr per 100g of chocolate). 10-14h (Monday to Saturday), closed on Sunday. 100% handmade chocolate and made in Værøy.
50% more than in mainland Norway. At the table
No real restaurant, except the Supern Cafe.
Drinks
- 1 Supern Cafe (In the same building as Coop Prix), ☎ 47 40 1 68395. relatively reasonable. 10h-18h (Monday-Friday), 10h-16h (Saturday); closed on Sundays. The center of Værøy's social life. Sweets, coffee, tea. Free Wifi. Last order 30mn before closing.
Safety
The most likely unwanted event is falling while hiking or catching a cold due to bad weather. Aside from that, the island is perfectly safe.
How to keep in touch
Mobile phone networks do not cover the whole island. As for the Internet, only EDGE network is available and only in areas of the island (as of 2015). Free Wi-Fi is available at Cafè Supern.
Excursions
- Røst, another island to the southwest
- Moskenes, on the island Moskenesøya
- Bodø, on the continent
