Helgeland Coast

The Helgeland coast runs from northern Trondelag to the Arctic Circle, and the road that follows it, Fv17, is deliberately slow: six ferry crossings, long detours around fjords, and a route that spends its time among some ten thousand islands rather than cutting inland. Its landmarks are distinctive. Torghatten is a granite dome with a hole straight through it, big enough to walk in. The Seven Sisters, De Syv Sostre, are a chain of peaks above Sandnessjoen. Further north the road crosses the Arctic Circle near the Svartisen glacier, whose arms come close to the sea. Ferries between islands are part of the experience rather than an obstacle, and the coastal steamer runs the same waters.

What you actually see

• Torghatten - a granite dome pierced by a walk-through tunnel.
• The Seven Sisters - a row of peaks rising above Sandnessjoen.
• The ferry route - six crossings along the coastal road.
• The Arctic Circle - the line crossed near the Svartisen glacier.

When to go

June to August, when ferries run their full timetables and the midnight sun keeps the light going; late May and September are quieter with reduced services. Winter travel is possible but ferries and weather become unpredictable.

Honest expectations

Ferry timetables dominate the journey and missing one can mean an hour or more waiting; booking is advisable in summer. Distances are long and fuel stations sparse. Rain and low cloud are frequent on this coast, hiding the peaks that justify the drive.

Nearby

Bronnoysund and Torghatten sit at the southern end; Bodo and the Lofoten ferries lie north.