Årøya is ideal for nature experiences and exploration. It is home to a rich plant and bird life and plenty of cultural heritage sites. Most of the island is protected during the summer season.
Årøya is 3.4 square kilometres in size and clearly visible from land. There is no scheduled traffic there. If you do not have your own boat, it is possible to hire transport to and from the island. Most of Årøya is protected between 5 May and 15 July, with the exception of the north side, which is open for landing all year round.
You can go ashore on the north-west side into Vågen at Bertholmen. Here there is a quay with space for several boats. The Lyngenfjord can be harsh and if the wind blows from the west, it can be difficult to go ashore. You also need to watch out for a large reef right in the entrance. It's not marked, but you can see that it's shallow on the nautical chart. Keep a good distance from the pole and enter on the port side. Several boats have got stuck on the reef and had to wait for the tide to free them. If you know the approach road, even large sailing ships can dock.
Large wooden tables and benches have been set up at the quayside and are available all year round. There is also a toilet and a barbecue area. An old warehouse has been refurbished by volunteers who use the island regularly. Here you can sit sheltered from the elements, use tables and benches, and a wood-burning stove. There is no access to drinking water, and no-one empties the rubbish left behind by visitors. So remember to take your rubbish home again.
Great nature experiences
Årøya is a recreational area where you can enjoy great nature experiences. It is a quiet and peaceful place. There is a cart track from Bertholmen to a shelter set up at a lookout point on the north-east side. It takes about 20 minutes to walk there. There is also a barbecue area, benches and a view of the Lyngenfjord. On the way there you can see ruins from the Second World War and bunkers from the defence armament during the Cold War. During the summer months, Lyngen Sauce Anchorage has grazing wild sheep roaming freely throughout Årøya. During the berry season, you can find crowberries, blueberries, lingonberries and cloudberries. You can also see and hear various species of seabirds such as gulls, puffins, geese and eagles.
