Cruising Norway: 5 stunning spots for a memorable Norwegian sailing trip

Dreaming about cruising Norway? I've picked out some top spots vouched for by Yachting Monthly sailors to inspire a sailing holiday.

Cruising Norway offers a great chance to experience breezy anchorages surrounded by mountains and history-rich buzzing cities. If you’re wondering where to go, there are plenty of excellent spots to explore.

One popular area when cruising Norway are the Lofoten Islands, in the far North, off the mainland’s west coast. These isles are known for the northern lights, traditional villages, and towering mountains. Greg Bertram explored this land of the midnight sun: ‘Sailing the west coast of Norway is a feast for the eyes and senses, and there is no better place to start than Stavanger.

‘We left on 29 May, and the first leg to Bergen gave us a taste of rain, sunshine, great scenery, and some strong northerly gusts, before we continued north to Fedje. Here we had our own private history lesson when an islander pointed out to us where the German Second World War submarine U-864 was torpedoed by the British submarine HMS Venturer.’

Below, I’ve put together a list of gorgeous Norwegian cruising destinations and included information from Yachting Monthly writers who’ve visited them.

Cruising Norway: Cape Lindesnes

In southern Norway, Cape Lindesnes is an exciting place to explore, but depending on the weather conditions, it requires skilled seamanship. Detlef Jens sailed this rocky coast, which forms a labyrinth of islands, secret bays, and rocks.

Speaking on the experience Jens wrote, ‘We have just rounded the cape, and the contrast with the conditions we left behind is breathtaking. West of Cape Lindesnes, the world seemed grey, hostile, downright threatening. Now, east of the cape, two of my children and I were sailing along with ease, aboard Youkali, a Breehorn 37, followed by large but gentle and friendly seas.

‘On the weather side of the cape, we were crashing through steep, aggressive waves that seemed to be churned up by the concentrated malice of all the angry, unhappy sea trolls who, according to old Norse legends, live on this coast. But with Lindesnes safely in our wake, we can lose ourselves in a friendly world of well-sheltered waters between countless islands.’

For those interested in history, Lindesnes is rich in sailing heritage. Jens explained, ‘Almost every cape has a special significance for sailors, and Lindesnes is no exception. Norway’s oldest lighthouse stands on the cape, the light on the prominent headland was first lit in 1655.

‘As early as the Middle Ages, Lindesnes was the first and most important landmark for all ships coming from the North Sea bound for Norway, or further on through the Skagerrak into the Baltic Sea.

‘The long story of the lighthouse – the tower in its present form dates from 1915 – is told in an attractively designed visitor centre on the site. However, it is advisable to visit the lighthouse over land, leaving the boat safely moored in the small harbour of Lillehavn on the east side of the cape, or in the modest holiday resort of Måly not much further on.’

Hille

Once a fishing village, Hille is a picturesque area for tourists looking for a quiet stop-off. On his cruising journey, Jens found, ‘East of Cape Lindesnes and just outside of Mandal, the anchorage at Hille is the complete contrast to Lyngdalsfjorden, with a scenery more akin to a peaceful inland lake in the mountains of, say, the lower Alps of Bavaria or Switzerland. A grass meadow gently slopes down to a tiny beach at the end of the bay, with several stately wooden houses at the top.’

For those sailing into the area, Jens explained, ‘The bay is very sheltered but not easy to anchor, with moderate to poor holding on a rocky bottom interspersed with extended fields of dense kelp, which is why we preferred to moor at the head of a wooden jetty in front of apparently unused shacks filled with ancient fishing gear.’

Ålesund

On the west coast, Ålesund is a port town that was rebuilt in an Art Nouveau style after a fire in 1904. Aksla, its mountain peak, is a great choice for hiking, and from its summit, you can see stunning views over the town and surrounding islands.

Greg Bertram wrote about cruising in this area for Yachting Monthly in 2020, ‘We rounded Stadlandet in around 14 knots of wind with an expected lumpy sea and we were glad when we were safely alongside in the beautiful city of Ålesund. Renowned for its Art Nouveau architecture, we needed little excuse for a walk where our noses soon picked up the delicious smell of fresh fish soup.’

Ålesund sounds like a great stop-off if you want more of a bustling atmosphere after soaking up solitude in secluded island anchorages.

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Lyngdalsfjorden

For a fjord cruising experience, Jens vouches, ‘Lyngdalsfjorden was deeply impressive. The fjord is located beyond the coastal town of Farsund, which offers good visitors’ moorings and typically features seemingly unfathomable depths even when already many miles inland, between steep cliffs on both sides.’

Natural beauty is abundant here: ‘The still water seemed mysterious, in a deep, dark green, the colour of cool Nordic pine forests. At the same time, we could not stop marvelling at the constantly changing panorama through which we slowly drifted.’

Lyngdalsfjorden offers a tranquil escape from busy city life, making it an excellent spot for cruisers to immerse themselves in nature.

Jens said, ‘The light, the colours and thus the entire scenery changed abruptly when the clouds moved across the low-hanging sky, the sun was drowned by gusts of black rain and then burst out again from a craggy hole in the sky to let a section of rock shine in brilliant light before being displaced again by heavy, grey clouds, only to reappear seconds later elsewhere. The further we went up the fjord, the further we got from the sea, which was in reality only a few miles away.’

Ny Hellesund

Ny Hellesaund is a strait in Southern Norway, with a historic village and a handful of houses. Nearby Kapelløya utkikkspunkt is a viewpoint for taking in the rugged landscape when the weather is fine.

Detlef Jens visited this area and gave a dreamy account: ‘As we drift into Ny Hellesund with only the whisper of a breeze, we are captivated by the magic of this unique place. The village dates back to the 16th century, has always depended on shipping, and lies on the two islands of Monsø and Kabelø. The only road is the sound between the islands; like in so many places in Norway, boats are the only means of transport.

‘There is an old shipyard which is now a café and restaurant with small boat moorings at one end, and Ny Hellesund was also an important pilot station for a time. A steep, wildly overgrown path leads up through scree and rocks to the old pilot’s cabin on Monsø.’

‘From here, you have a view over the islands and archipelago to the open sea not far away, and this is where the pilots kept watch in the 19th century. When they spotted an incoming ship, they would run down to the village, man a large and heavy rowing boat, and head out into the Skagerrak towards the ship to guide it safely in.’

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