The Best Hikes in Andøya – Hiking Guide

Andøya remains a somewhat hidden gem for hiking and landscape photography enthusiasts, especially for a location that offers some of the best hikes and views in Northern Norway.

While Måtinden is the biggest and most popular attraction, there’s much more in terms of hiking. Not to mention the beautiful white sand beaches Andøya has to offer. All of these elements make Andøya a prime hiking location in northern Norway. One that is often overlooked.

View from the top of Måtinden.

Close to both the Lofoten Islands and Senja, Andøya is an ideal location for a 1 to 3-night stay and some hikes, from easy to challenging ones.

Some of the viewpoints you’ll find on this island are second to none in Norway, with some stunning sights that would make you wonder why this isn’t a more well-known location.

Høyvika

The most scenic locations are around the coast between Bleik and Stave. This area will be the focus of this guide. So if you are travelling between Senja and the Lofoten or looking for alternative places to explore, you’ll want to visit the Island of Andøya.

Bleikstranda, one of the beautiful beaches on the island of Andøya.

Table of Contents

How to get to Andøya

Andøya is the typical location you’d visit while on a road trip across Northern Norway. Either in a Van or in a rental car, there are two main ways to get to Andøya: direct driving or by ferry—the latter only if you are coming from the North. And only during the summer season.

Gryllefjord-Andenes Ferry

If you are coming from the Island of Senja or further north in general, the Gryllefjord-Andenes ferry is a very popular choice. The ferry is very popular as it saves hours of driving. So much so that in summer, you should be there well in advance to make sure you have a spot on the ferry.

However, the ferry is only available in the summer months and can’t be booked in advance. Here, you can check the timetable and the prices.

On the other hand, if you prefer not to queue and wait for the ferry, but drive the scenic route of Northern Norway, then you can drive to this beautiful island. It mostly depends on your starting point. If you are already in the Gryllefjord area, the ferry is the quickest option.

Driving to Andøya

If you are farther away, such as Fjordgård or Tromsø, then you may consider the drive. Especially keeping in mind that while the travel time with the ferry is shorter on paper, you have to queue up hours in advance. Consider the risk of not being able to board if you are late during high season, and then you’ll see how the drive makes more sense, especially if you like scenic drives and the ability to stop whenever you feel like it.

View of the rpad from Andenes to Bleik

I did both. While the ferry is a nice time-saver if you can fit it into your schedule, I’d drive any time I’m given the choice. I drove from Fjordgård to Bleik, and although it took more than seven hours in total, I enjoyed the drive. Again, from Tromsø to the ferry is a couple of hours quicker, on paper, but that does not account for the waiting time at the dock.

From the Harstad airport in Evenes, it takes almost four hours. While if you are in the Lofoten, you can also consider a visit to Andøya. From Svolvaer, it takes a little over three hours, and about four and a half hours from Leknes.

Whichever route you take, they are all scenic drives. Now with the “getting there” part covered, let’s see the list of the most scenic hikes on the Island of Andøya.

Map (and list) of the Best Hikes in Andøya

Here is the map of the best hikes on the Island of Andøya. Below the map, you’ll find a short description of each hike with a link to an in-depth article about each trail, if you want to dig deeper into each location.

You can also download the GPX files for free from the activities linked in each post.

Måtinden – Cliff views and Sea Stacks. Most Popular hike in Andøya

If there is only one hike you can do in Andøya, Måtinden should be it. The views of the somewhat bizarre-looking, jagged peaks from the cliffs above the ocean are almost unreal.

Drone view of Måtinden.

This is widely considered the best and most popular hike in Andøya for a good reason. The rock formations are rather unique, and the views are second to none in Northern Norway.

The shortest trail is from Baugtua. It’s less than 8km, out-and-back. The first part is quite steep, though nothing that requires scrambling. Then the trail eases out and is mostly flat until the last short uphill section that leads to Måtinden’s summit, where you can enjoy the views of the rock formations, as well as the whole stretch of coast between Stave and Bleik.

The rugged coastline below Måtinden

Very noteworthy are the views of Høyvika, which is the next hike on this list.

Høyvika – an amazing, hidden beach

Høyvika is the beach you can see from Måtinden’s summit. It is as gorgeous as it looks from up there.

Høyvika – view from Måtinden’s summit.

There’s no chance of even guessing this beach exists if you were driving along the coast. The beach is perfectly hidden by the mountains and only opens up to the sea.

Such is the feeling, too, when you are on Høyvika. It feels like being in a very remote, hidden location far away from civilisation, even though it is quite accessible.

Viewpoint above Høyvika, at sunset.

The most common way to get there is from Stave, where you can do it as an out-and-back hike or as a loop up the steep mountain. The trail is marked; you can follow the pink paint marks you’ll see on the rocks. Avoid during bad weather, though. Things can get very rough here.

The hike isn’t easy, but it is not extremely challenging either. There are a lot of rocks on the trail and a lot in the tidal area you’d need to hop on and off of. Once you reach the beach, you’ll realize how big it really is.

From the beach, the trail goes back up the steep mountainside. Here, some light scrambling is required. As you get back to the trailhead, you are rewarded with this magnificent view of the beach.

Then the trail steeply descends back towards the trailhead. Tip: If you want to get to this viewpoint for sunset, you can start the hike counterclockwise. It takes ten minutes to get here:

Otervika – a difficult-to-access hidden beach

Otervika is the other hidden beach you can view from Matinden. It is a smaller beach and the least visited of the two. For a good reason, it is more difficult to access. This is the hardest hike on the list, and not one free of risks.

Otervika.

The main coastal trail is only accessible at low tide and in fair weather. And even then, it’s no joke. For a long stretch, the trail is on slippery, jagged rocks. No surprises as the trail is underwater at high tide. In some places, the passages are so narrow that there literally are hands and contact points painted.

Apart from the beauty of the beach, what will probably make a strong impression is the feeling of remoteness Otervika gives. There were no footprints when I visited, and barely any signs of human presence could be seen.

You can technically avoid the sketchy coastline trail by hiking to Måtinden first, and from there down to Otervika and back up the same way. This adds to the total elevation gain and distance, so be aware of that.

Royken – Best view of Bleikstranda

Royken is the shortest and easiest hike on this list. Still, a hike that also offers an amazing view of the coast south of Andenes and Bleik’s beach (Bleikstranda).

View from Roykens’ summit, with Bleik in the background.

The trail begins on a gravel road that leads to a research station on a nearby mountain. Despite being an easy hike, the terrain becomes quite steep as soon as you leave the gravel road for the trail. The hike isn’t difficult at all, just slow going sometimes due to the steep gradient.

Once you reach the top, the views suddenly open up, revealing the beautiful coastline and the mountains around it.

It’s quite a short hike that could easily be done in an hour.

Stave-Bleik Coastal Trail

Last but not least, the Stave-Bleik coastal trail. This is perhaps the hike to consider if you want to catch most of the hiking highlights in one hike. Technically, it’s a one-way hike, but practically, you can do it as an out-and-back hike if you don’t mind the distance. If you want to do it as a one-way hike, you can catch the bus back to Bleik from Stave or vice versa.

On this hike, you can view Hoyvika, Måtinden, Otervika, and some additional views of Bleikstranda and the coast around Bleik. So, in a way, you can consider it a sort of “Highlights”.

From Stave, you’d climb up to the viewpoint above Høyvika.

Then the trail continues on the plateau above the beach for a few kilometers, until it reaches the final bit of the trail to Måtinden, where you can admire the spectacular 360-degree views before descending back towards Bleik on the opposite side of the mountain.

Where to stay on the Island of Andøya

If I had to pick one location to stay at in Andøya, that would be the Chalet owned by the Midnattsol camping. There are two of them. Both have private bathrooms, a kitchenette to cook your food, and an outside seating area to enjoy the beautiful scenery or the northern lights.

The little chalets are beautiful to look at in themselves. I stayed there in the hope of catching the Northern Lights with no luck, but it’s a prime location regardless. The same campsite also offers cottages and bigger apartments in Bleik.

One of the two Middnattsol cottages in Bleik. A great place to stay, conveniently located near Bleikstranda.

In terms of camping, you can again book at the Midnattsol camping or the Stave campsite. In that sense, Midnattsol is the more “motorhome-oriented”, while the Stave campsite is the more “relax in nature” type.

Additional Resources

• Check other Hiking and travel guides on Norway: a guide to planning a hiking trip to the Lofoten Islands, and my Senja Hiking and Travel Guide.
• Or, check out more Hikes in Norway, with Maps!
• Here is the website of the Andenes-Gryllefjord ferry.