THE FERRY TO SENJA
This morning you will travel by ferry from the Sommaroy area to the island of Senja. The ferry leaves from Brensholmen, a tiny town just around the corner from Sommaroy and Ornfloya, and travels to Botnhamn on Senja.
To maximize your time on Senja, you need to take the first ferry of the day, which is 8:45 am during the summer months (12:15 am on Sunday).
o make sure you get a spot, it’s a good idea to get in line early. We got in line at 7:30 am and we were the first crazy ones in line. On the day that we did this (a Tuesday morning in July) every car in line made it onto the ferry. Even so, it’s not a bad idea to get here about a half an hour early (8:15). If you miss the ferry, the next one is at 10:45 am.The ferry takes 45 minutes. You will buy your tickets once you are onboard the ferry.
HIKING SEGLA
If you enjoy hiking, I highly recommend the hike up to Segla. This was our main reason for visiting Senja and it was absolutely worth it.
The hike up Segla is short but surprisingly tough. In fact, it’s probably the toughest hike in this itinerary. This hike is only 5 km (3 miles) round trip, but with 610 meters (2000 feet of climbing), it can be exhausting. But, oh, what a view you have from the top of Segla.
Another great hike to consider on Senja is Breidtinden. This is an even more demanding hike, with more climbing and a slightly longer distance, but it offers gorgeous views of Segla and Mefjord.
MORE THINGS TO DO ON SENJA
If hiking is not in your game plan, Senja is still worth the visit. It’s a gorgeous drive on the Norwegian Scenic Route from Botnhamn to Gryllefjord and along the way there are a few places to visit.
Tungeneset is a coastal viewpoint. Walk out on the wooden walkway to the beach for a stunning view of the jagged Okshornan mountain range (it rained during this part of our visit so our photos aren’t the best).
The Bergsbotn viewing platform is a wooden and metal platform that offers nice views of Bergsfjord.we visited these spots in rather rainy.
Senjatrollet, also called the Senja , is advertised as being the world’s largest side. You can simply see it from the road (what we did) and visit the souvenir shop, walk the grounds, and watch the show.
VESTERALEN ISLANDS
This morning is all about catching that first ferry from Gryllefjord to Andenes. If the ferry, you will also the opportunity to hike out to Måtind, one of our favorite hikes on this itinerary.
The ferry only operates from mid-May through the beginning of September. Even then, it only runs two to three times per day. The first sailing from Gryllefjord is at 11:00 am. Plan on getting here early to make it onto the ferry. The car line can be long and those at the back of the line may not make it onboard.
If you stayed in Mefjord, you can visit Tungeneset and the Bergbotn viewing platform as you drive to Gryllefjord. It takes about one hour to drive from Mefjord to Gryllefjord and visiting those viewpoints does not add a lot of time.
We got in line at 9 am for the 11 am ferry. And no, this time, we were not the first ones here, although we were near the front of the line. There is a small grocery here, so if you want to put together a picnic lunch, this is a good place to do it.
HOW TO HIKE TROLLTUNGA
