Hasvik: Caves, Hiking Trails and History on Sørøya
Accommodation in Hasvik
Hasvik combines impressive memorial sites with hiking trails and nature experiences on Sørøya. In the caves, you can learn about the history of the wartime winter of 1944/45; marked trails lead to further discoveries. When choosing a holiday rental, it may therefore be helpful to consider your planned excursions: some start near Hasvik, others are in different parts of the municipality or can only be reached by boat.
Caves and History
Kvithellhula is about 6 kilometres from the village of Hasvik. From a clearly visible sign by the road, a marked trail leads to the cave in about 10 minutes. During the wartime winter of 1944/45, 35 people lived there for 99 days. A memorial plaque installed by Hasvik Historielag commemorates this. The short route and the history at the site make the cave a special destination for anyone wishing to combine nature and local history.
Nordsandfjordhula also tells the story of an extraordinary landscape. Its main entrance is 40 metres long, 12 to 15 metres wide and 3 metres high. From Hasvik, drive via Breivikbotn to Sandvika, where you will find an information board and a car park. The entrance can be difficult to find without someone familiar with the area, and the seaweed-covered rocks are slippery. These details are important to bear in mind when planning your excursion. A German fortification was built on Mount Håen near Hasvik during the Second World War. The network included bunkers, gun emplacements and trenches. Even today, a visit offers an impression of the scale of German activity at the end of the war.
Hiking on Sørøya
For longer hikes, the “Sørøya på langs” trail runs from Mount Fuglen near Sørvær to Tarhalsen near Akkarfjord. The route is about 100 kilometres long and marked according to the DNT standard. In summer 2021, the entire trail was fully marked and recorded by GPS along its full length. If you are considering a long hike, you can take this information into account when planning your route.
There are also shorter options for exploring the municipality on foot. Each summer season, the Perletur programme in Hasvik includes 42 hikes. The Perletur routes are signposted at their starting points, and many are also marked along the way. Opplev Sørøya marks hiking trails and offers maps with recommended routes in the municipality. Another marked trail section leads from Sandvika to the mountain cave in Nordsandfjord and is the Municipality of Hasvik’s contribution to the “Fotefar i Nord” project. At Kvithellvannet, there is a bathing jetty or bathing area, a fishing spot and a barbecue area. The area is one of the municipality’s three designated local recreation areas.
Places, Events and Getting There
History can also be found along older trails: the trail section from Hasvik to Hasvåg is now the oldest surviving trail section in Finnmark. Events are held at different times throughout the year: Sørøyfestivalen takes place every April in the Municipality of Hasvik, and Sørøyrocken in July. Sørøysommer features events throughout the summer. When planning your travel dates, these events may be an additional reason to check the municipality’s event calendar.
The village of Hasvik is also an important starting point for getting around: from here, a ferry connects to Øksfjord in the Municipality of Loppa, and express boats run to Alta and Hammerfest. Hasvik Airport is a regional airport with a 960-metre runway. The natural attractions vary in accessibility: the Storgalten Nature Reserve lies in Galtenfjord on the north side of Sørøya and can only be reached by boat. When choosing where to stay, consider whether your trip will focus on hikes, caves and historic sites, or also include destinations that require boat access.
For the broader travel guide: Finnmark.
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