About Senja
Sitting right in the heart of the Aurora Zone at a latitude of 69.41 degrees, Senja is Norway’s second largest island, located far above the Arctic Circle.
This part of the world is known not only for its Northern Lights potential but also for being one of the region’s most idyllic spots with a beautiful and rich natural landscape. Here, you can enjoy sea and land-based Arctic activities by day and keep watch for the Northern Lights by night, all against a backdrop of fairy-tale-like fjords and idyllic fishing villages.
Visiting Senja will no doubt be a magical experience. Indeed, few places can offer such a wonderful combination of scenery, Arctic adventures and extraordinary Aurora displays.
'Norway in Miniature'
The island is known locally as ‘Norway in miniature’ as visitors to the island will no doubt appreciate the rich and contrasting scenery which varies from rugged mountain peaks, white sand beaches, vast Arctic seas and meandering rivers. All kinds of stunning scenery is displayed here alongside, of course, the towering beauty of the fjords which dominate the landscape.
The island community has been shaped by the rich fishing life of the seas here and scattered amongst the fjord scenery you will find an array of fishing hamlets and villages that grew up alongside the fishing economy. These tiny villages are full of brightly coloured houses that make for a charmingly picturesque sight.
As well as the rich fishing life, there is a range of wildlife on the island. Senja is known as one of the best places in Norway to observe the white-tailed eagle and the herring-filled seas attract seals and porpoise at certain times of the year which can be seen on boat trips which operate around the island.
The weather here is less hospitable and warmer than other locations in the Arctic. Whilst the weather can be quite changeable, the prevailing Gulf Stream makes for a milder climate than other locations of similar latitude and temperatures rarely drop into the minus figures.
Given its location high above the Arctic Circle, Senja is also renowned for its wonderful Northern Lights potential and when the sky is clear and the solar activity is high, you will be able to see the Aurora stretching over the mountains and fjord – a truly breath-taking sight. The island has some wonderful vantage points, including a Northern Lights Lighthouse, offering panoramic views of the skies and surrounding scenery.
Island Auroras
Based in the idyllic Norwegian fishing village of Hamn I Senja, the small hotel of Hamn is located right on the water’s edge and away from almost all artificial light pollution; it could not be better for viewing the Aurora Borealis. This will be your home-from-home on our Island Auroras adventure.
Over four nights, you will experience the delights of the Northern Lights Lighthouse, a guided sightseeing tour, an Aurora hunt by snowshoe and a fantastic wildlife boat tour. On your return journey to the city lights of Tromsø, you will travel on the iconic Hurtigruten Coastal Steamer which has been repeatedly voted as the most dramatic cruise route in the world.
Photography by Hamn I Senja, Gauet Bruvik, Christina Sonvilla
