Andoya Scenic Route

The Andoya national scenic route runs about fifty kilometres down the western side of the island between Andenes and Bjornskinn, with the sea on one side and a wall of steep ridges on the other, passing the long white beach at Bleik with its puffin islet offshore, the peat bogs that cover much of the island's interior, and a series of designed rest stops including the Bukkekjerka site, a rock formation used historically as a Sami sacrificial place, now with a discreet modern pavilion and viewing points. Andenes at the northern end is the base for whale watching, with sperm whales feeding in a deep submarine canyon close to shore, and the Andoya space centre launches research rockets from the same coast.

What you actually see

• Bleik beach - a long white sand beach facing a puffin islet.
• Bukkekjerka - a rock formation and Sami site with a modern rest stop.
• The ridge wall - steep mountains running along the eastern side of the road.
• The whale port - Andenes, with sperm whales feeding offshore.

When to go

May to September for the drive, the whale trips and the midnight sun; whale watching runs from late May to September with sperm whales, and winter trips target orcas and humpbacks further south. The road is open year-round but exposed.

Honest expectations

The island is flat, boggy and treeless over much of its interior, which some find bleak. Weather is wet and windy, and whale trips are cancelled in swell and are rough when they run. Facilities along the route are limited to the rest stops.

Nearby

Bleik and Andenes are at the northern end; the Vesteralen islands and Dronningruta lie south.