E-Newsletter

Explore the archipelago


Your complete guide to good archipelago experiences in Southern Norway
Skjærgården .
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Skjærgården .
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes

The southern archipelago is often referred to as Norway's riviera. Enjoy life on a beach, fish for crabs from the jetty, ride around in a boat or get an adrenaline rush on a vigorous ocean rafting trip.

Blindleia i Lillesand .
Photo: Magnus Furset / Visit Norway
Blindleia i Lillesand .
Photo: Magnus Furset / Visit Norway

Cultural-historical boat routes

Bathing boats

Sightseeing boats

Ports of Southern Norway

The old ports in Southern Norway are unique both in a national and international context. In the past, they functioned as an emergency port and bunkering place for ships sailing with goods to and from the Baltic Sea. Today, the outports are better known as idyllic resorts that buzz with life in the summer and go to sleep as soon as the school holidays are over. But in many of the outports, people live and work all year round and it can be at least as idyllic to visit an outport outside the main season.

Ny Hellesund .
Photo: Rene Bjerregård
Ny Hellesund .
Photo: Rene Bjerregård

Explore the ports of Southern Norway

Ny-Hellesund

The islands of Ny-Hellesund formed an outport because they all have good harbors and…

Brekkestø

In the 18th century guesthouses appeared at Gaupholmen, on Ullerøya and in…

Korshamn

The charming and idyllically positioned coastal village of Korshamn lies just west of…

Ulvøysund

Ulvøysund is an old harbour in Lillesand municipality. It is called Wolfsund…

Accommodation along the coastline

Along the entire southern coast you will find many accommodation options, whether you choose a guest harbour, lighthouse holiday or hotel.

Lindesnes lighthouse at night .
Photo: Rolf Dybvik @Lindesnes fyr
Lindesnes lighthouse at night .
Photo: Rolf Dybvik @Lindesnes fyr

Lighthouse holiday

Hotels and holiday huses

Tregde Ferie

Tregde Ferie has cabins and holiday apartments of various sizes for rent. The resort…

Other experiences in the archipelago

There are many different ways to explore the archipelago. The Sørland coast with its many islands and islets is well suited for kayaking. You can sign up for a guided tour or explore the archipelago on your own. Kayaks and SUP boards can be rented in several places along the coast.

Padling .
Photo: Hakeem Treland
Padling .
Photo: Hakeem Treland

Guided experiences

Kote Null

Kote Null brings you closer to our beautiful "Skjærgård" - our…

Equipment for rental

BUA Grimstad

What is BUA? BUA, barn- unge- aktivitet (children- youth- activities) is a…

Explore the first national park in Southern Norway - Raet

Raet National Park was established in 2016 to protect a special natural area that stretches from Valøyene in Grimstad via the entire Arendal coastal strip to Lyngør in Tvedestrand. The national park consists of a total of 607 square kilometers of coastal nature and sea, and the special thing about Raet is that 98% of the national park is underwater.

Here you can see the traces of the ice age
Raet are visible traces of the ice age around 12,000 years ago. The giant glacier retreated, leaving behind huge amounts of rock, sand, gravel and clay that it had swept up along the way. This is how the glacier created a unique coastal landscape.

Raet nasjonalpark .
Photo: Visit Grimstad
Raet nasjonalpark .
Photo: Visit Grimstad

Explore Raet national park

Beaches and swimming spots

If there is one thing that Southern Norway has a lot of, it is beautiful beaches. Sjøsanden in Mandal, Bystranda in Kristiansand and Groos in Grimstad are just a few examples. Also visit Hove (part of Raet National Park) and the beaches on Lista for wonderful nature experiences - all year round. Here you will find an overview of the best swimming spots and hiking areas along the coast in Southern Norway.

Badeplassen "Hemmeligstranda" .
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes
Badeplassen "Hemmeligstranda" .
Photo: Gjermund Glesnes

Beaches and swimming spots in Southern Norway

Beach Løkjen

One glimpse of the river and the swimming area from the road, and it's okay to park…

Grønnes beach

Old and young flock here to enjoy the beach, play beach volleyball, catch small sand…

Perleporten

This great swimming area are located between Store and Lille Vardøy in…

Høl bathing

The swimming area is universally designed, with bathing ramp. Here are also some…