Nordkapp-North Cape Mageroya Island Norway
Norway
45
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Atlas Ocean Voyages (3 Cruises)
Cunard (2 Cruises)
Holland America Line (2 Cruises)
Hurtigruten (2 Cruises)
HX Expeditions (1 Cruises)
Scenic Cruises (16 Cruises)
Scenic Eclipse
8 Cruises
Scenic Eclipse II
8 Cruises
Seabourn Cruise Line (5 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
At the small port of Honningsvag on the island of Magerøya. The cape itself is another 34 kilometres away, about 45 minutes by road across the tundra. The quay, though, is a few steps from the village centre.
No, never: 34 kilometres of plateau separate the quay from the headland. You need the excursion coach or arranged transport. The drive is part of the show, so it is better seen as an asset than an obstacle.
A cliff 307 metres high dropping into the Arctic Ocean, topped by a metal globe erected in 1978 as a symbol of meeting between peoples and one of the most photographed monuments in the north. In clear weather the ocean runs unbroken to the polar ice.
Go anyway. The place then takes on an end-of-the-world quality that has its own grandeur. The visitor centre holds a tiny chapel and a historical exhibition, and outside, the Children of the Earth sculptures, made by children from seven countries, add a moving note.
Very often, and by the hundred: they come up to the island for the summer with Sami herders. The crossing of the Magerøya plateau does not contain a single tree — lakes, scree, late snow patches, and those herds.
A main street, brightly painted houses, trawlers at rest, and the 1885 church, the only building to survive the destruction of 1944 when the region was burned during the German retreat. It sheltered residents who came back to rebuild. Allow an hour for the town.
An excursion that has become the local speciality: you head out to sea, haul up this giant of the Arctic seabed, examine it, then eat it fresh. It is the most popular alternative once the cape has delivered its view.
Yes, on the nearby cliffs where whole colonies of puffins and gannets nest in summer. Boat trips run there from the harbour, an option on longer calls.
From mid-May to late July. That is when the plateau keeps its light all night and the visit reaches its full effect. Outside that window you contend with shorter days, and then with the polar night.
As for a cool autumn day, even in July: 8 °C, wind and a shower surprise nobody at 71 degrees north. A wool hat and windproof shell belong in the day bag alongside sunglasses — all of it can be needed within the same hour.
