Northern Lights Forecast for Senja

Northern Lights on Senja

Senja is Norway’s second-largest island, southwest of Tromsø. The inner side facing the mainland is green and gentle, but the outer coast is steep mountains rising straight out of the sea, with small fishing villages on the narrow strips of land in between. Senja gets fewer visitors than Lofoten, and the villages are small, so you rarely need to drive far to get away from lights.

The scenic route from Botnhamn to Gryllefjord

Most aurora watching happens along the Norwegian Scenic Route Senja (Nasjonal turistveg Senja), a 102 km road along the outer coast between Botnhamn and Gryllefjord. Its rest areas work well as viewpoints:

• Bergsbotn: a 44-meter-long viewing platform high above Bergsfjorden, surrounded by mountains. It is one of the regular aurora stops on the island.
• Tungeneset: a boardwalk out on the rocks with open views to the sea and across to the jagged Okshornan peaks, also called the Devil’s Teeth.
• Ersfjordstranda: a white sand beach between steep peaks, with a parking area and facilities right by the shore.
• Mefjordvær and Husøy: two fishing villages near the north end of the route. Husøy sits on a small island in the fjord, linked to the mainland by a causeway.

Outer-coast villages and Finnsnes

Staying on the outer coast puts you close to the dark viewpoints and saves long night drives. Hamn i Senja is a small resort on its own islet, and Mefjordvær, Senjahopen and Fjordgård also have places to stay. Finnsnes, on the mainland side of the Gisund Bridge, is the service town for the region with shops and fuel.

The Brensholmen ferry or the Gisund Bridge

From Tromsø you have two options by car. The ferry from Brensholmen to Botnhamn runs all year. Brensholmen is about an hour’s drive from Tromsø on Kvaløya, and the crossing takes less than an hour. The ferry is small and can’t be booked, and departures can be cancelled in bad weather. The other option is to drive around via the mainland and cross the bridge at Finnsnes, which takes roughly 2.5 to 3.5 hours to the outer coast.

Finnsnes is also a Hurtigruten stop and has an express boat from Tromsø. The nearest airport is Bardufoss, about 45 minutes from Finnsnes.

Avalanche closures on the outer coast

The outer coast roads are narrow and exposed. After heavy snow, roads are sometimes closed because of avalanche risk, and strong coastal winds can make some stretches unpleasant to drive. Check the Statens vegvesen road reports before a long drive, and consider a guided tour if you are not used to icy roads in the dark. The summer ferry from Gryllefjord to Andenes doesn’t run in winter.