Øksnes: Island landscapes, Dronningruta and wildlife watching
Accommodation in Øksnes
The municipality of Øksnes is home to 220 islands, islets and skerries. Dronningruta is a waymarked hiking trail; there are also protected breeding areas and wildlife-watching excursions. This gives you several ways to plan your trip: you can focus on a hike lasting several hours, nature watching or cultural experiences in Nyksund.
Island nature and protected seabird areas
Anda Nature Reserve is located in Øksnes in Nordland, at the northern end of Langøya, and is a Ramsar site. It is home to one of the largest puffin colonies in Nordland. To protect nesting seabirds, landing on Anda is prohibited from 15 April to 31 July. Keep this seasonal restriction in mind when planning your nature experiences.
Stø/Nyksund Nature Reserve also protects an important seabird breeding area. It was established in 2002. These protected areas give the landscape particular importance for birdlife; in Øksnes, nature watching can therefore go hand in hand with a focus on preserving nesting sites.
Dronningruta: a long circular hike
The waymarked Dronningruta runs between the historic fishing villages of Nyksund and Stø. The circular route is about 15 kilometres long and takes 5 to 8 hours. Its stages pass through varied landscapes, including mountains, shoreline, bog, beach and rocky terrain. The different surfaces and landscapes make the route a varied outing that is not limited to a single type of scenery.
An important practical point for your hiking day: there is no access to drinking water along Dronningruta. Bring enough drinks and, if possible, a packed lunch. The distance and estimated duration will help you plan the circular hike as a full-day outing.
Wildlife watching from Stø and Nyksund
The Stø Whale & Arctic Wildlife Safari departs from Stø in Vesterålen and searches for whales, puffins, seabirds, seals and other marine animals. It runs during the summer season from June to August; weather, sea conditions and availability determine whether it can go ahead. The safari is therefore a seasonal opportunity to focus on marine wildlife.
Another seabird and seal safari starts and ends in Nyksund. It offers the chance to see killer whales, harbour porpoises and harbour seals. Nyksund also offers concerts, meditative tours and art galleries. Nature excursions and cultural experiences are therefore distinct interests to enjoy there.
Places and getting around Øksnes
Tinden is on Tindsøya in Øksnes Vestbygd and can be reached by express boat from Myre or from the Skjellfjorden express boat quay. If Tinden is part of your plans, this boat connection is a useful point of reference. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can first consider whether a hike between Nyksund and Stø, a safari departing from one of these places, or the journey to Tinden is most important to you. This lets you choose a location based on the experiences you want to plan.
For further orientation within the municipality: Klo, Øksnes, Sandset, Alsvåg and Sørvågen.
For the broader travel overview: Lofoten.
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