Kråkenes fyr
Staying overnight in a lighthouse
Last update July 2013
Long weekend trip
Driving 30km for fresh fish despite being on an island, barbecuing outside despite heavy wind and 8 degrees, laying on a marvellous beach in a warm jackets next to true Norwegian taking a dip.
The idea with the lighthouse
I really do not remember when or where we read about the possibility of staying overnight in a lighthouse on the Norwegian coastline, but from that moment on we were more than sure that we want to try this. To our surprise, we found quite many lighthouses that are for rent. For our first time, we chose Kråkenes fyr, which is known for being most exposed to strong winds and huge waves from the open sea, on the island of Måløy, for a stay there during our summer vacation. Turns out, it was a good choice.
 The lighthouse |  The family house |  The lighthouse |
|---|---|---|
 Barbecuing on a nice day |  At the beach, sunny but cold |  The family house |
 The island |  The island |  On a gray day |
 Clouds coming in |
The way to Måløy
We drove all the way from Bergen that day, with some welcomed interruptions by ferries, up to Nordfjordeid, from where we headed straight west, along the Nordfjord and over the bridge to Måløy, the center of the Vågøy commune.
This small and cosy town was the last and only station to buy stuff before the last stage: a 24 km dead-end road (by car 30 min) over hills and through meadows to "our" lighthouse. In Måløy you find excellent fish, so do not forget to buy it here.
We were warmly welcomed and showed around by Bettina who together with her husband, both fellow Germans, run the lighthouse. We were quite happy about that as our Norwegian was not yet very good at that time.
The lighthouse
Kråkenes lighthouse consist of two buildings: the lighthouse itself, where you find the honeymoon suite, and the stromhouse, where the assistant and his family lived in former times, with some double rooms and a kitchen for all.
Staying out there was all about the atmosphere for us: you are in the middle of nowhere, the next small town, as said, is a 30 min drive away, the sound of the waves against the rocks and the strengths of the wind making the house sometimes shake, or so we imagined. Very different from the sounds of a city!
The next 2 days we went for great coastline walks, drove into the city to buy more fresh fish, saw some sort of extra small reindeers, a lot of sheep (and their remains...), relaxed a bit and got good friends with other guests with whom we enjoyed a rather stormy but nevertheless very tasty fish-barbecues together in the evening.
The weather
Usually, we do not write about bad weather because you cannot do anything about it anyhow.
But, well, 12 degrees and a bit of fog is not exactly what you are hoping for in your summer vacation, is it?
Whatever, after a bottle of red wine it did not feel that cold any longer. On the upside, the weather changes quickly at the coast anyhow.
And indeed, in the afternoon of the second day the clouds suddenly lifted and the sun came out! That was the day we went for a classical summer holiday acitvity: The nearby beach looked like those in the Caribbean sea with blue-green water and white sand. Just we refrained from undressing and running into the waves as the water probably had around the same temperature as the air. That obviously did not stop some Norwegians to do exactly that.
No, thanks, not for us. We are not yet that Norwegian :)
INFO
Distances
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600 km / 8 hrs by car from Oslo
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350 km / 6,5 hrs by car from Bergen
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170 km / 4 hrs from Ålesund (closest airport)
Highlights
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Location, location, location
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Jugendstilsenteret / museum
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Viewpoint Mount Aksla (30 min by foot or a 15 min drive)
Overnight stay we can recommend
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krakenesfyr.com
Tip
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Kråkenes fyr as a honeymoon suite - but check out the design before you book it if you really like it
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You will find various lighthouses for overnight stays under visitnorway.com/no/overnatting/fyrferie
More information
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visitalesund-geiranger.com
MAP
Click on the map for opening the right clipping in google maps in a new window