Best 21 Norway Beaches
Suggesting Norway as a beach destination might raise a few eyebrows, after all this is a Nordic nation which reaches well into the Arctic Circle. What may surprise you though, is that Norway is home to some of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful beaches one earth. Not only that but this is the land of the midnight sun and Northern lights.
And Norway's beaches have variety. With an incredibly long, convoluted coastline of fjords and islands the beaches come in all shapes and sizes. Perhaps best known of all Norway beaches are those on the Lofoten Islands with their stunning mountain backdrops. But there are also buzzing city beaches and remote sandy stretches where you can surf and get close to nature.
If all that wasn't enough of a surprise then how about the positively balmy summer water temperatures! Believe it or not the sea in some more sheltered spots in Southern Norway can reach 23 C in the summer.
The Best Norwegian Beaches...
-
1. Haukland Beach // Lofoten Islands
Michele Agostini The stunning and dramatic natural scenery of the Lofoten Islands is well known. A landscape of jagged, rocky mountains that drop precipitously into the clear blue waters of the Arctic Sea. And a coastline dotted with white-sand beaches that are amongst the most gorgeous on earth. Amongst such beauty it is impossible to pick a favourite, but Haukland beach comes close.
Haukland has all these attributes and is set in a… read more »
-
2. Kvalvika // Lofoten Islands
Markus Trienke Situated in a remote bay on the north-west coast of Moskenesøy, the beach at Kvalvika is possibly the most dramatic in the Lofoten Islands, and that is saying something.
Here the mountains meet the sea, and the goldens sands of the beach are flanked by precipitous, sheer rock faces, the most iconic of which is Ryten. This peak rises 550 metres, almost straight up from the beach and provides the… read more »
-
3. Ramberg // Lofoten Islands
© Æøå The description of Ramberg beach on the Lofoten Islands begins like many of the other tropical beaches on the World Beach Guide. A crescent of white sands washed by crystal clear turquoise water...
...but hold on a minute. Ramberg is anything but tropical, it is located in the Arctic Circle. In fact you are more likely to be chased polar bear than a shark in these frigid waters. And the… read more »
-
4. Hoddevik // Nordfjord
© Frode Inge Helland / CC BY Set at the foot of a green valley between towering cliffs on the far western coast of Norway is Hoddevik. This little fishing outpost with its weatherboard huts sits in front of one of the regions finest beaches. With almost a mile of fine white sand and clear blue waters this is an idyllic spot to (literally!) chill out and relax.
Hoddevik is widely considered to be Norway's best surfing… read more »
-
5. Uttakleiv Beach // Lofoten Islands
Eivind Barstad Waaler Uttakleiv Beach is probably the most visited and photographed in all the Lofoten Islands. I suspect this is more to do with its location than it being any more stunning and beautiful than Lofoten's other amazing beaches. That is not to say Uttakleiv doesn't have the same near-white sands, turquoise sea and dramatic mountain backdrop.
As a beach, Uttakleiv is one of the best in Lofoten. It is wider and more… read more »
-
-
6. Unstad // Lofoten Islands
Olivier Bruchez Great for:- Surfing
Although it may sound a little odd, Unstad is in fact the heart of the Norwegian surfing scene. Despite being well within the Arctic Circle this beach attracts surfers from around the world. Admittedly many come out of curiosity, but there can be good waves here and the scenery is absolutely stunning.
It is said surfing at Unstad beach dates back to the 1960s when some globe-trotting Norwegians returned from Australia… read more »
-
7. Bunes Beach // Lofoten Islands
© Michal Knitl / 123RF From the photographs of Bunes Beach it is hard to imagine the scale of things here. But in reality everything is bigger than you expected; the white sand of the beach stretches further in every direction and the mountains are huge.
The beach sits in a wide, glacier-carved valley with Storskiva to one side and the looming Helvetestind to the other, rising 600 metres straight up from the beach. This… read more »
-
8. Solastranden // Western Norway
Eirik Solheim Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
- Kitesurfing
Solastranden, or Solar Beach, is a lovely crescent of fine golden sand on the edge of Stavanger. It is the best beach in the area and a few years back it was even listed as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by the Sunday Times. Whilst we maybe wouldn't go that far there is no doubt Solar beach is one of the finest in Norway.
Stretching for… read more »
-
9. Foten // Southern Norway
Thomas M. Hansen Great for:- Swimming
Foten beach is located a few kilometres west of Fredrikstad, just across the border from Sweden. It is probably the best beach in the area and comprises of a little bay of smooth rocks enclosing a lovely little sandy beach. To the rear is woodland and the view out over the calm waters and islands of the Skagerrak.
This is a perfect family beach with safe swimming and plenty of… read more »
-
10. Huk Beach // Southern Norway
Grzegorz Wysocki Great for:- Swimming
The small, but pretty beach of Huk sits towards the end of the Bygdøy peninsula, just to the west of Norway's capital, Oslo. Backed by parkland this is one of the best, and most popular beaches within easy striking distance (5 km) of the city; therefore don't be surprised that it gets a little busy during the summer.
Huk is divided into two beaches, with a small inlet separating them. The… read more »
-
11. Bystranda // Southern Norway
Yeezus903 Great for:- Swimming
This man-made sandy beach is situated in the city of Kristiansand, close to the southern tip of Norway. Its location has been well-selected with a marina next door and nearby parkland. It is also easily reached from the city center with plenty of parking and nearby leisure facilities.
The Kristiansand City beach has fine, near-white sand - of course it isn't natural, but it is what you would choose if you… read more »
-
-
12. Mølen // Southern Norway
Thor Fredrik Eie Great for:- Surfing
Mølen beach in Southern Norway is a fascinating place both naturally and historically. For starters it is Norway's largest pebble beach consisting of rounded rocks varying in colour and size. In fact there are over 100 different types of rock here, mainly deposited during the last ice age 10,000 years ago. Such is the geological importance of the site, Mølen was the first UNESCO Geopark Area in the Nordic region.
The… read more »
-
13. Sjøsanden Beach // Southern Norway
© Yosh3000 / CC BY Lying on the very southern tip of Norway is the coastal town of Mandal. By Norwegian standards the climate here is fairly mild and in summer the weather is definitely warm enough to enjoy the town's best known asset - Sjøsanden beach, an 800m (half mile) long stretch of lovely, near white sand.
Regularly cited as Norway's best beach it is difficult to argue with this. Located in the Furulunden… read more »
-
14. Orrestranden // Western Norway
L.C. Nøttaasen Orre Beach (Orrestranden) is one of Norway's longest beaches. A three kilometre stretch of fine golden sand backed by dunes, this is a wonderfully wild and beautiful, unspoilt part of the west coast.
Located around 20 km south of Stavanger the beach here is pretty easy to find. It is a Blue Flag beach, largely on account of the pristine surrounds, which include part of the Jæren protected nature area. This… read more »
-
15. Rørvik // Lofoten Islands
© Foap - VisitNorway.com Tucked away on the southern coast of the Lofoten Islands, not far from the main E10 road is Rorvik beach. Despite being so close to the road this little beach is often overlooked as it isn't one of the better known Lofoten beaches.
Whilst the surrounding scenery isn't quite as immediate as the towering mountains on some of the archipelago's other beaches it is still beautiful. The backdrop is tree covered… read more »
