When you step off the boat at Myken, you feel your pulse calming down. Further out to sea, it’s hardly possible to reach Helgeland. But 32 kilometers from the mainland, north of the Arctic Circle, there is a small community on a tiny island, where a handful of enthusiasts keep the lights on in the houses and the doors open.
Myken is an archipelago far out at sea in the municipality of Rødøy, located in the northern part of the Helgeland coast. The archipelago is situated north of Træna and west of the island Rødøy. You can travel to Myken by express boat or private boat. Please note that the boat does not run frequently, so you should plan to stay overnight.
Express boat
Only during summer: The summer route of the Nordlandsekspressen goes to Myken from several stops between Bodø and Rødøy in the north, and between Sandnessjøen and Træna in the south. Click on the names to see the express boat docks on Google Maps.
Year round: For the rest of the year, you must take the express boat from Tonnes in the south or Vågaholmen in the north. Both routes pass through Rødøy and the other islands in the municipality. It is possible to take the express boat from Sandnessjøen to Tonnes via Onøy, and from Bodø to Rødøy, and then transfer to the express boat to Myken there. Click on the names to see the express boat docks on Google Maps.
Read more about the Nordlandsekspressen’s summer route and the timetables here
Find timetables for the express boat from Vågaholmen to Myken
Find timetables for the express boat from Sandnessjøen to Onøy and Onøy to Tonnes
Find timetables for the express boat fromTonnes to Myken
Find timetables for the express boat from Bodø to Rødøy
Myken is a small fishing village, located in the middle of the sea, far out on the Helgeland coast. It’s 32 kilometers to the mainland, and almost 20 kilometers to the nearest inhabited island. In between lies a stretch of sea that can be so stormy at times that being weatherbound is part of daily life out here in the fall and winter. Yes, it’s daily life out here.
Among the islands and islets of Myken, there is a good and safe harbor. Where the low, rolling landscape has provided enough shelter from the wind for Myken to have been home to both people and the occasional grazing animal for several hundred years. Surrounded by good fishing grounds and fishing villages, there were at most around 150 people living on the islands here.
To this day, Myken is home to a handful of permanent residents, in addition to holidaymakers and cottage owners who maintain old family houses. When you walk through the village on a nice summer day, you walk through a very much alive local community, with well-kept houses and well-tended gardens. The local shop is open every day and serves as both a grocery store, clothing store, hardware store, meeting place, and café. The island has restaurants and cafes, concerts and stand-up comedy. Yes, even its own whiskey distillery. When you live far enough from the sheriff and the priest, there are almost no limits to what you can achieve!
The express boat comes and goes a couple of times a day, and apart from the forklift truck at the whiskey distillery, and perhaps a tractor or excavator when needed, there are no vehicles on the island. The island lives in its own calm rhythm, in its own calm time. Island time is good time. And that’s how it should be in a place like this.
Accommodation, dining and activities
Practical Information
The ‘allemannsrett’ (the right to roam) gives you the opportunity to camp in all uncultivated land in Norway, as long as you keep a distance of 150 meters from cabins and houses.
On Myken, this is very difficult. The vegetation is fragile in the barren landscape, and there are no natural freshwater sources on the island, or open toilets. And since the small island is so densely populated, there are very few areas far enough from cabins and houses to allow camping within the regulations of the ‘allemannsrett.’
Since there are also few departures to and from the island, we recommend that travelers to Myken book accommodation in advance.
Guest harbour in Myken
Find on Google Maps
Read more on Myken.no
Thank you for respecting the local communities, and for helping us preserve the natural beauty of Helgeland!
Please:
- Strive to leave no trace of your visit. Bring back all your rubbish, including used toilet paper, and discard it in the nearest rubbish bin.
- Plan your toilet visits and use the opportunity when you pass a toilet. In the wilderness, make sure you are not a nuisance to others.
- Respect the local wildlife. Keep a good distance from wildlife, livestock and birds. Keep your dog leashed.
- Respect private property. Keep a respectful distance from houses and cabins.
- Show good boating sense. Keep a good distance from shore and drive at a low speed, especially when you are close to anyone or anything on the water, including birds or animals. Avoid loud and disturbing engine noise. Be aware that some islands and nature reserves are important nesting sites, and that going ashore is prohibited during the nesting season.
- Follow the Norwegian Mountain Code (Fjellvettreglene). Plan your excursion according to the weather forecast, your skills and experience.
- Join a guided excursion or consider hiring an experienced guide, especially when you don’t have sufficient experience or knowledge to guarantee a safe trip.
Book your experience
RIB sea rafting trips with Meløy Adventure
You are invited to join Meløy Adventure on a RIB sea-rafting adventure to the island of Rødøya and Rødøyløva (443 m). Other great options include a sea-rafting safari to explore the scenic Nordfjord, the spectacular island of Træna, or a visit to the remote island of Myken with a tour of its whisky distillery. These excursions start from Ørnes in Meløy municipality – but for your convenience you can request to be picked up elsewhere en route.
Myken Apartments
At Myken Apartments, you have several accommodation choices on this quaint island far out on the Helgeland Coast. In the apartments at Myken Brygge, you’ll stay right by the express boat quay, enjoying a splendid view of the strait and Myken’s entryway. Alternatively, you can choose one of the houses located a bit more secluded, further inland on the island.
Myken Seng & Suppe (Myken Bed & Soup)
Myken is a small fishing community far from the mainland. The islands of this archipelago have no car traffic – in fact the main island has less than one kilometre of road. Myken invites you to experience its island scenery, the ever-changing sea, and the midnight sun.
Fiskebruket Restaurant – A dining adventure at Myken
You will find Fiskebruket Restaurant on an island situated far from the mainland. With brunch and dinner prepared from freshly-caught seafood and produce and meat supplied by local farms, the chef offers a world-class culinary experience.
