The Måsøy islands
Provided by:
Visit Hammerfest
Join us on a trip to the fantastic islands that surround Havøysund. With the Arctic Ocean as your nearest neighbour, you will get to know completely unique stories from the hardy people who settled there, the wild animal life and the very special nature you will find there.
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Points of interest
#1
Ingøy
Welcome to Ingøy! Did you know that this was Finnmark’s capital in the 1500s? At that time, it was a large fishing village with well over 300 permanent residents and at times hundreds of boats anchored in the fjord. Today there are fewer boats and only a handful of permanent residents, but this exotic adventure island has caught the eye of many due to its unique nature and history. On Ingøya they like to set records. Right up until 2006 you could find the world’s most northerly manned lighthouse here, ‘Fruholmen lighthouse’, which is today automised but still open for visits. Amazingly, you can also find Europe’s highest edifice here, a longwave mast which provides large areas of the sea with a VHF connection. The nature is fresh, exciting, and beautiful with its rich plant and bird life. Next to the island you can also find perhaps some of Finnmark’s best fishing areas! If you would like to visit the island there is a boat connection from Havøysund every weekday. Here you can also come across the rare mythical natural phenomenon St Elmo’s fire, which can only be observed in a few places in the world. Maybe you will be the next one to see it! https://www.kystmuseene.no/sankt-elms-ild-paa-ingoey.5013691-237536.html
#2
Måsøya
Welcome to Måsøya! Previously, the island was the centre of the municipality, which is why the municipality of today is called Måsøy municipality. The island’s permanent residents live here next to the fast ferry quay and across the valley where you will find Vestervågen. There is a road connecting the two places and a beautiful church lying midway between them. People have lived here since the stone age, and you can find several house tufts dating back a few thousand years at different places across the island. It is also the birthplace of the famous priest, hymn writer, and folklore collector, Magnus Brostrup Landstad. In his time, he published the books ‘Norwegian Folk songs’ and ‘The Norwegian Church Hymn book’. The beautiful, wild, untouched nature, with its especially beautiful chalk white sandy beaches, is attracting more and more visitors to the island. The residents have set up two ‘gammer’ (Sami houses), on the island that can be used as overnight accommodation for a fishing trip or nature adventure. It is also possible to spot wild reindeer, eagles, and other stunning animals. Måsøya has a fast ferry connection to the centre of the municipality.
#3
Rolvsøya
At 89 km² Rolvsøya is the largest island in the municipality. Despite this, there are just under 100 people living on the island in the main villages of Gunnarnes and Tufjord. Here the fish are biting year-round, especially the majestic halibut. The island with its wild and untouched nature, beautiful beaches, fjords, and fishing lakes, is an Eldorado for hiking enthusiasts. The marshes at Rolvsøya are known for their abundant bird life, and it is worth mentioning that Northern Black Tailed Godwit nests here. You can also find the world’s northernmost occurrence of the exotic dark red helleborine orchid, sitting on the throne at the top of the rich floral fauna of the island. At one point, there were over 600 people living on the island and the island was home to the municipality’s first county road which was begun in 1927. Those of you with a wasp phobia should cover your ears now. In 1992 a completely new type of parasite wasp was found on the island. It was named Synacra ocularis.