Far out at sea, with only the open ocean and Iceland as its next neighbor to the west, you’ll find the Træna archipelago. Out here, the “sea people” reside, along with fish and birds, amidst hundreds of large and small islands, islets, and reefs.

Træna is an island group located far out at sea, approximately in the middle of the Helgeland coast, north of Lovund and south of Myken. You can travel there by ferry, express boat, or private boat. There are few roads on the island and limited parking options, so we recommend that travelers with cars leave them on the mainland.

Ferry

You can take the ferry to the islands of Husøy and Selvær in Træna from Stokkvågen on the mainland, and from Husøy to Selvær if you are going to Husøy first. However, be aware that the ferry does not go to Selvær if there are no vehicles heading there. Click on the names to see the ferry docks on Google Maps.

View ferry schedules for Stokkvågen – Husøy
View ferry schedules for Stokkvågen – Selvær
View ferry schedules for Husøy – Selvær

Express boat
From the north:
During the summer, you can take the Nordlandsekspressen express boat to Træna from several stops between Bodø and Myken. Click on the names to see the express boat terminals on Google Maps.
From the south: You can take the Helgelandspendelen express boat from Sandnessjøen, Nesna, Stokkvågen, Onøy or Lovund throughout the year. Click on the names to see the express boat terminals on Google Maps.

Read more about the Nordlandsekspressen and view schedule
View express boat schedules from Sandnessjøen to Træna

The ferry and the express boat first go to the “main island” Husøy. A warm and exciting local community awaits you here, at the outermost edge of the ocean. You would almost not believe that this is one of Norway’s oldest fishing villages, where discoveries from the Stone Age show that they have been engaged in fishing here for over 8000 years! The village and its culture are very much alive and express themselves through artistic elements throughout Husøy. This includes both art and crafts on display in gardens, street art on walls, and sculptures in the landscape.

The houses are close together, and both young and old newcomers from various nations give the local community an urban feel that few would expect to find so far out to sea. Here, you’ll find both a pub and a coffee bar, a museum, and a music festival, a playground, and a fitness center.

For many, Træna is perhaps best known for the Træna Festival, a large and internationally recognized music festival held every year in July on the islands of Husøy and Sanna. During this time, the otherwise tranquil island community is almost invaded, and instead of hosting only a few hundred residents and holidaymakers, the people of Træna suddenly become hosts to several thousand festival participants, volunteers, artists, and other visitors.

The Træna Islands

We say “on Træna,” but it is actually the collective name for the island group and municipality. The permanent residents live on the islands of Husøy, Selvær, Sanna, and Sandøy.

Kart over øyene i Træna www.tenktrena.no

Husøy is the “main island,” and it is where most of the Træna residents live. Here you will find the grocery store, café, pub, accommodations, sauna, Petter Dass Chapel, and the main stages of the Træna Festival when it takes place.

Selvær has the second largest population and is home to fishermen, a fish reception facility, a small grocery store, and Træna Arctic Fishing, which rents out sea-house apartments and small fishing boats.

Sanna is home to a few permanent residents and houses the iconic mountains with Trænstaven as the “icing on the cake.” Here you will also find the Kjærlighetsstien hiking trail, the large Kirkhelleren cave, the mountain hike through the tunnel up to Gompen, and occasionally coffee service at Grendehuset.

Holmen og Sandøy are the smallest islands, and the houses there are mostly used as vacation homes. If you want to explore these islands, you can get there by speedboat or go island hopping with a kayak. However, please note that they do not have visitor facilities such as toilets or food service, so plan your visit ahead before you go.

The Træna festival

Every July, the Træna Festival takes place on the islands of Husøy and Sanna, turning the otherwise quiet island community into a bustling hub. From just a few hundred residents and vacationers on the islands, there are suddenly thousands of festival participants, volunteers, artists, and other visitors. Most people stay at the festival camp on Husøy.

Norway’s oldest fishing villages

Træna is regarded as one of Norway’s oldest fishing villages, and archaeological discoveries from the Stone Age demonstrate that fishing has been practiced here for over 8,000 years!

Practical Information

Bystranda
Right by the ferry dock on Husøy, between Træna Church and Aloha Café, you’ll find Træna’s own “city beach.”

Find directions in Google Maps

Træna Badstue-naust
Træna’s oldest boathouse has been renovated and transformed into a beautiful, wood-fired sauna, with its own bathing ladder down to the sea. It is open for communal use at regular intervals and is otherwise available upon request.

Read more about the sauna-hut here

Sanna beach
There are several beautiful beaches on the island of Sanna, which are nice to combine with a trip to Kirkhelleren and Gompen. There is a toilet at the express boat quay and at the Community House on days when the Community House is open.

Find directions in Google Maps

Beaches on Holmen
The beautiful beaches on the small island cluster of Holmen, north of Husøy, are a nice destination for a day trip with the local express boat or with your own boat or kayak on calm, sunny days. There are no permanent residents and no toilets or similar facilities, so you need to plan restroom visits before and after the trip.

See Holmen in Google Maps

The Right to Roam allows you to camp in tents in all uncultivated land in Norway, as long as you keep a distance of 150 meters from cabins and houses.

We recommend using a campground. This way, you have access to showers and toilets, waste disposal, parking, and activities.

If you still want to camp or engage in free camping, we recommend these locations:

With a tent If you are camping with a tent, except during the Træna Festival, you can set up camp in what is designated as the festival’s camping area. The nearest open toilet is at the express boat quay, on the other side of the island.
Find directions in  Google Maps

With a camper van
There are limited parking options on Træna, so we recommend traveling there without a car. If you still choose to bring a camper van, you can check if there is space to park between the local store and Træna Church, or down at the Træna Coastal Association’s pier, where there are also toilets and a waste disposal station.
Click on the links above to view the locations in Google Maps.

Expressboat dock in Husøy
Find in Google Maps

Joker in Husøy, within opening hours
Find in Google Maps

Træna Coastal Association in Husøy
Find in Google Maps

Expressboat dock in Sanna
Find in Google Maps

Book your experiences

Charming coffee bar in Træna

Træna Kaffekollektiv is a small and cozy coffee bar offering stunning views over Trænfjorden, serving the finest coffee in the archipelago.

Træna Arctic Fishing

Selvær, the second-biggest island of the Træna archipelago, is a quiet and cosy fishing community. Like the rest of Træna, it faces the open sea and lies far from the mainland. Here, you can stay in a modern quayside holiday apartment, and experience scenic Helgeland at its best. You will find excellent fishing, literally thousands of islets and skerries, amazing birdlife, and skies that glow late into the summer nights.

Aloha Cafe on Træna

Aloha Cafe, nestled in the heart of Høusøy in Træna, offers a delightful cafe experience with a touch of island charm. With it’s central location it’s just a short walk from the express boat and ferry terminals, the church, tourist information center, grocery store, Træna Accommodation, and House by the Sea.

Volunteer Tourism on Træna

Now you can become a volunteer tourist on Træna and receive free accommodation at House by the Sea in exchange for participating in a clean-up campaign.

Træna museum

Træna Museum documents the this archipelago’s history going back to the Stone Age. Some of the archaeological discoveries displayed date back at least 9000 years. For this reason, Træna can rightfully call itself “the oldest fishing community in Norway”.

Seil Norge – Sailing adventures on the Helgeland coast

We invite you on a sailing adventure along Norway’s most spectacular coast. Sail from island to island with veteran sailors – experience adventures, see and learn. Come with us as we ride the wind, exploring fjords and islands, we’ll hike mountain summits and more! We offer you “A change of perspective.”

Træna Rorbuferie

The Træna archipelago is surrounded by the open sea. Træna Rorbuferie is situated on Husøya, the most populated of these islands. Here, amidst magnificent scenic surroundings, you have a golden opportunity to experience the thriving coastal culture of a vibrant island community.

Rent a bike at Træna

At the Træna Tourist Office on Husøya, you can rent bicycles to explore the beautiful island.

The adventure fleet in Selvær

Experience an intimate connection with nature and birdlife in a unique and intriguing way while staying amid the secluded and stunning surroundings of Selvær in Træna, located on the outermost point of the Helgeland coast.

House by the Sea – A unique place to stay on the island of Træna

The House by the Sea is a unique experience, thanks to its scenic location, incredible view and innovative architecture. The three cabins are designed to make your scenic experience an integral part of your holiday accommodation.

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