- Route
- Sortland – Andenes (Fv 82 and Andøya National Tourist Route)
- Length
- about 115 km (about 215 km around if returning to Sortland along the east coast)
- Driving time
- Around 2 hours without stops, but allow several days
- Recommended number of days
- 3–4
- Best season
- June–August. Whale watching runs all year, with most departures from May to September; the summer ferry to Senja usually runs from mid-May to late September.
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Flat, but the tourist road is narrow — in several places less than five metres of asphalt.
- Last checked
- October 2026
Why this route?
After Lofoten, Vesterålen feels quieter. The mountains are just as steep, but there are fewer cars and more room on the beaches. At the outermost tip is Andenes, where the seabed plunges into a deep canyon just offshore. Whales find food there, and you can see them in every season.
The Andøya National Tourist Route runs 58 km from Bjørnskinn to Andenes, with the open sea on one side and a mountainside on the other. Pass a spaceport, a Sámi sacrificial site, white beaches and a fishing village with over a thousand years of history. Distances are short, so take your time.
Stops along the route
1. Sortland — the blue town
Vesterålen's commercial centre. In 1998, artist Bjørn Elvenes proposed painting the centre in shades of blue; since then, more and more buildings have turned blue.
Don't miss: Hurtigrutemuseet in Stokmarknes, about 30 km south. The 1956 Hurtigruten ship MS “Finnmarken” stands in a glass building on the quay, and you can go aboard.
Motorhome tip: Fill up with diesel and water here — no fuel station lies along the tourist road before Andenes.
2. Andøybrua and Bjørnskinn — onto the tourist road
Fv 82 heads north along the fjords on Hinnøya; the 750-metre Andøybrua takes you to Andøya. A couple of kilometres beyond the bridge, turn left at Bjørnskinn onto the tourist road.
Motorhome tip: Check andoyaspace.no and 175.no before turning off. Launches can close the road between Nøss and Nordmela for up to eight hours, usually evenings and nights. For short closures, take Fv 82 to Å, about 12 km north of the bridge, then narrow Fv 7702 across to Nordmela. For major launches, check 175.no or stay on the east coast.
3. Bukkekjerka — the sacrificial site by the spaceport
On Børhella rises Bukkekjerka, an ancient Sámi sacrificial site on a distinct rocky knoll between road and sea. The rest area is closed until further notice because of the security-policy situation. Just north, in Børvågen, is Andøya Spaceport.
Motorhome tip: Sandvika, 1.5 km further south, has the nearest toilet — summer only. Børvågen–Nordmela is the route's narrowest section, with less than 4.5 metres of asphalt. Drones are prohibited around the spaceport.
4. Stave — hot tubs and a coastal trail
A small hamlet with a pale sandy beach, where the summer-evening sun slides along the horizon instead of setting. From here a coastal path runs around 10 km beside the sea to Bleik, over Måtinden (408 metres above sea level) — allow 5–6 hours.
Don't miss: The hot tubs at Stave Camping. Evening slots go first, so book a few days ahead for a late summer evening.
Motorhome tip: Stave Camping has around 26 electric pitches and cassette-toilet emptying; empty grey water in Andenes. Bauktuva, where the trail crosses the road, is tight — park in Stave or Bleik.
5. Bleik — white sand and bird cliffs
The first thing you see is the sand: a long, chalk-white beach that gave the village its name. Houses cluster together; a little over 400 people live here. The northern part stands on a settlement mound whose lowest layers are around 1,400 years old. Offshore is Bleiksøya, a nature reserve home to puffins and white-tailed eagles.
Don't miss: A birdwatching boat trip. Whalesafari Andenes runs summer RIB trips stopping at Bleiksøya. Landing on the island is forbidden.
Motorhome tip: Midnattsol Camping beside the beach is open all year, with electricity at every pitch and a dump station. Pitches cannot be reserved. The road through the village is less than five metres wide in places.
6. Kleivodden — a final look back
North of Bleik, drive through short Kleivatunnelen; just beyond is Kleivodden, a small wheelchair-accessible rest area on smooth coastal rocks. In evening light Bleiksøya looks like a dark cone in the sea.
Motorhome tip: The tunnel is around 100 metres long, signed at 4.5 metres high, but narrow — wait when meeting a large vehicle.
7. Andenes — whale watching
Andenes is known for sperm whales, but orcas, humpbacks and pilot whales appear too. Whalesafari Andenes and Arctic Whale Tours operate from the harbour, with most trips May–September: a couple of hours by RIB or 3–5 hours on a larger boat. The Whale, a new whale and ocean centre, is scheduled to open in summer 2027.
Don't miss: Andenes lighthouse, the red tower from 1859 rising 40 metres above the village. You can climb to the top — buy tickets at Andøymuseet.
Motorhome tip: The centre has little space, and motorhomes left in the streets are a known problem. Use Andenes Camping, 3 km south, with electricity, water and a dump station. Dogs: not allowed aboard Whalesafari from 2026, but permitted on the outside deck with Arctic Whale Tours.
8. Dverberg — home along the east coast
Return to Sortland on Fv 82 along the east coast: a wider road, moorland and open views over Andfjorden. In Dverberg stands an octagonal log church from 1843, designed by Christian Heinrich Grosch.
Motorhome tip: The east coast is the quickest return, around 100 km from Andenes to Sortland.
Practical info for motorhomes
Roads: Flat throughout. Fv 82 is mostly 6–7 metres wide; the tourist road mostly 5–5.5 metres. Roads permit vehicles up to 19.5 metres, so no length limit prevents motorhome access, but two large vehicles must slow down to pass. Storms can close roads in winter — check vegvesen.no or call 175.
Parking: Few large parking areas along the tourist road. Avoid the roadside at Bauktuva and streets in Andenes.
Overnight stays: The right of public access applies to tents: at least 150 metres from an inhabited house, no more than two nights without landowner consent. Motorhomes can use public car parks and rest areas where no prohibition is signed — not verges, and never the terrain. Use campsites.
Campsites:
- Sortland Camping og Motell — electricity, water and dump station
- Stave Camping — beside the beach, hot tubs
- Midnattsol Camping, Bleik — open all year
- Andenes Camping — beside the sandy beach south of Andenes, reception mid-May–late September
Fuel: Fill up in Sortland. On Andøya there is a station in Andenes, none along the tourist road.
Waste disposal: Not in the tourist road's toilets. Use the campsites above — Stave allows toilet emptying, but not grey water.
Ferries: None on the route itself. From Lofoten, take Fiskebøl–Melbu (about 25 minutes, Torghatten Nord) or drive E10 and Rv 85 without a ferry. The summer Andenes–Gryllefjord ferry to Senja usually runs mid-May–late September, around 1 hour and 40 minutes. Only buses can reserve, and queues are often long in summer — arrive well ahead. Timetables and tickets: svipper.no.
Combine with
- Lofoten — immediately south of Sortland, with or without a ferry.
- Senja — the summer ferry from Andenes drops you at Gryllefjord on the Senja National Tourist Route.
- Stø on Langøya — a fishing village with its own summer whale watching, around an hour from Sortland.
Weather
Andøya faces the open sea, with rapidly changing weather. Summer days are usually around 10–15 degrees, and it is almost always windy. The midnight sun shines from around 20 May to around 23 July; from September evenings become dark enough for northern lights. Whale watching can be cancelled in strong winds, so allow an extra day in Andenes. Check yr.no for Andenes and Bleik.
This route is part of Bobilvei's hand-picked motorhome routes in Norway. Every route is quality-checked with a focus on motorhome suitability, parking and local experiences.
