During our 2017 visit to Norway’s spectacular Lofoten islands another area captured our interest. The magazine article we were reading highlighted the natural beauty, impressive mountain peaks and wonderfully scenic coastlines of the relatively unknown and lesser-visited island of Senja.
September this year saw us finally make the trip to this place which turned out to be even more amazing than we could have dared to hope!
The journey involved two flights to get to Tromsø, then a couple of hours of driving, before we arrived at our home for the next five nights, a beautiful cabin right on the shoreline in the small fishing village of Senjahopen.
The view from the mountain of Hesten across the fjord to Senjahopen.
The first day dawned bright and sunny, so we took the opportunity to head straight for one of Senja’s most well-known viewpoints, the view of Segla from Hesten. We weren’t sure how tough the hike would be, but the views of the amazing scenery as we progressed upwards easily distracted from the tired legs. Even after seeing many photos online from this viewpoint, nothing prepares you for the sight of the immense vertical, sheer slab of rock that is the peak of Segla mountain.
The sheer peak of Segla with the start-point of the village of Fjordgård below.
My favourite image from this hike was this black and white conversion of a photo I took on my phone. So much for lugging all my camera gear up there!
We knew there would be trees on Senja, but we hadn’t realised quite how vast the forested areas would be, and my hope of seeing autumn colours in the trees worked out really very well! Seemingly everywhere you looked there were golden yellows and oranges, and combined with the rivers, lakes, coastlines and mountains this really was indescribably beautiful.
The spectacular scene at the Bergsbotn viewing platform, with the road sweeping down the valley and through the trees alongside the fjord below the majestic mountains in the distance.
A panoramic shot of Bergsbotn.
Of course being this far north, well into the arctic region, we were hoping for a good view of the northern lights. After scoping out various viewpoints with a view to the north, we realised that our best location was simply on the decking outside our cabin, where stood gasping in amazement as the aurora danced to the east, west and directly overhead.
The aurora danced and grew until it filled the entire sky over Senjahopen.
The drama and excitement built as we stood by the cabin watching this spectacle, then realised that the wiring at the top of the telegraph pole next to the cabin was repeatedly setting itself on fire! With a small fire burning and sparks falling, we quickly called the fire department. The first responders who then arrived seemed quite bemused by our claims, as typically it didn’t burst into flames while they were there. Thankfully the electricity board eventually arrived and sorted the electrics in the middle of the night. Quite an eventful evening!
Following our eventful evening this juvenile white tailed eagle landed on the shore right in front of our accommodation whilst we were eating breakfast.
White tailed eagles thrive in this area, and in fact we saw them every day during our stay in Senjahopen. It was from this part of northern Norway that birds were relocated to the west coast of Scotland back in the 1970s. It’s amazing to think that the eagles we see on our regular trips to the Isle of Mull could be distant relatives of these birds.
Low cloud and sunshine - a common and beautiful feature of these mountainous coastal regions.
Showers and moody cloud pass by the village of Mefjordvær, before a storm saw us taking shelter back in the cabin for the afternoon.
The following day the sun shone at Mefjordvær.
Another evening of aurora activity from the cabin. Never the same twice, this display was less intense but with more varied colours. The mountains of Hesten and Segla are above and beyond the small boat shed.
Another location was on the must-visit list, this time it was the view of a mountain ridge known as The Devil’s Teeth, at Tungeneset.
A low viewpoint and a tidal pool resulted in this spectacular reflection.
A return visit at sunset - not quite the amazing sunset I was hoping for, but still a beautiful scene.
Later in the week we spent a few days exploring the southern side of the island. Less rugged, but just as beautiful, this area is even quieter than the north.
Blue skies and golden colours bring out the best of Ånderdalen National Park.
Autumn colours and distant mountains in the national park.
Storforsen Waterfall looking magnificent as it tumbles through the golden trees.
Peace and tranquillity at the lakeshore.
Senja captured our hearts, with its spectacular and varied scenery, beautiful coastline and quiet, peaceful nature. We struck lucky with the autumn colours and the weather (mostly!). I’m sure we’ll be making a return visit sometime and I’m not sure why it took us so long to plan a visit in the first place!