Blindleia

Blindleia is a protected inshore channel about twelve kilometres long, running behind the outer skerries between Lillesand and the Kristiansand area, so narrow in places that boats pass close enough to touch the rock. It was used for centuries as a safe route for coastal traffic avoiding the open Skagerrak, and it is now the summer heart of the Sorlandet coast: white-painted wooden houses on the islands, small harbours, and a dense traffic of pleasure boats through July. Passenger boats run the channel from Lillesand, taking a couple of hours, and the same route is a classic kayak trip. The islands along it, including Gamle Hellesund and Justoya, hold preserved communities of pilot and shipping families.

What you actually see

• The narrow channel - a sheltered passage between islands and skerries.
• The white houses - Sorlandet timber architecture on the island shores.
• Gamle Hellesund - a preserved coastal community on the route.
• The summer boat traffic - dense pleasure boating through July.

When to go

June to August, when the passenger boats run and the islands are alive; July is very crowded on the water. May and September are quieter for kayaking, with services reduced.

Honest expectations

The channel is busy with boat traffic in high summer, and its charm depends on tolerating that. Passenger boats run a limited seasonal schedule. Landing on the islands is limited to public quays, as much of the shore is private summer property.

Nearby

Lillesand's white town centre is at the northern end; Kristiansand lies southwest along the coast.