Lurøy
Municipality · Nordland
About Lurøy
Lovund, where some 200,000 puffins fly in each 14 April, the horseman-shaped peak on Hestmona, and the 1700s Renaissance garden at Lurøygården.
What to do and where to stay in Lurøy
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Lundeura puffin colony, LovundNature
On the north side of Lovundfjellet some 200,000 puffins nest each year, Helgeland's largest colony; most arrive around 14 April and leave in late August.
North side of Lovundfjellet, Lovund island · 1–2 h on the island · mid-April to late August
2Hestmannen (Hestmona)Hike
The 571 m peak shaped like a cloaked horseman and Lurøy's best-known sight; marked trails climb from the ferry quay, but the very top needs a rope.
Hestmona, southern part of Storselsøya island · 4–5 h (about 6 km, ~470 m ascent, return) · June–September
3LurøyfjelletHike
A 685 m mountain above Lurøy village with a marked path via Lauklihompen and a summit dial naming peaks from Svartisen and the Seven Sisters to the Lofoten wall.
Lurøya island, start by the old kindergarten and football pitch · 4 h (6.8 km return, 671 m ascent) · May–October (crampons in winter)
4Lurøygården gardenHistory & culture
A manor garden below Lurøyfjellet with a Renaissance section from 1740 and an 1890 English landscape garden, perhaps the northernmost Renaissance garden anywhere.
Lurøy village, Lurøya island · 30–60 min · Garden open all year; check whether the summer café is open
5Lurøy ChurchHistory & culture
A cross-shaped timber church from 1812, the latest of several on a site that already had a church in 1432; the small tower over the nave was added in 1834.
South side of Lurøy village, Lurøya · 15–30 min · all-year (exterior); interior at services
6Grønsvik coastal fortressHistory & culture
A German Atlantic Wall battery from 1942, built by Soviet and Polish prisoners of war; you can walk its gun positions, trenches and rock-blasted command bunker.
Fv17, about 2 km north of the Stokkvågen junction · 45–60 min · outdoor site all year; museum/toilet mid-June to mid-August
7Tonnesgrotta (Tonneshulen)Local oddity
An old sea cave close to 200 m deep, now about 40 m above the sea after land uplift, reached by a short steep path from Tonnes; daylight reaches far inside.
Above Tonnes village, northern tip of mainland Lurøy · 1 h · May–October
8Tampen Café, Indre KvarøyFood & drink
A café on the first floor of Kvarøy Fish Farming's building at the pier, serving lunch, home-made cakes and its own ice cream on an island of about 100 people.
Bekkefjæra 28, Indre Kvarøy · 1 h · all year, hours vary by season
9Solvær islands and SlenesetNature
Almost 2,000 low islands, islets and skerries with shallows and sandy beaches around Sleneset, rated one of Helgeland's best areas for kayaking.
Solværøyene, around Sleneset · half day to full day · May–September for paddling
10The Coast Coffee, LovundFood & drink
An open coffee roastery in a converted former boat-engine museum on Lovund, where you can watch the beans being roasted and drink them at the bar.
Hamnholmveien 42, Lovund, about 15 min walk from the quay · 30–60 min · all year, hours vary (Wed–Sat 11–16 listed)
Book something local
boat / birdwatching
Eagle-owl and bird safari by boat in the Solvær islands ↗
Guided boat trips among the Solvær islands, which have one of Europe's densest eagle-owl populations; the host has logged over 50 species.
Solværøyan Birds & Beds (Lena), Sleneset · Sleneset, Solværøyene