Sandøy: Parish History, Coastal Trails and Beaches

Sandøy is a small, weather-exposed island in the open sea beyond Molde and Ålesund. Cultural heritage sites, hiking trails and sandy beaches give a trip different focuses; Den Blå Timen adds a coastal culture festival with a set timeframe. So, if you’re looking for a hotel in Sandøy, it may help to first consider whether you want to plan your trip mainly around history, trails, the beach or a specific festival weekend.

Parish Houses, Churches and Historic Sites

The revised draft of Ålesund Municipality’s cultural heritage plan from 2019 describes Prestestauå as a rare cultural heritage monument and one of four surviving parish houses in the county. Prestestua was built in 1820 and is still standing. The same draft classifies Sandøy kyrkjestad as a medieval site where a church stood before the Reformation; the site is automatically protected as a heritage site. It also dates the Sandøy hamn harbour area to the 19th century and the period that followed. The draft also records Varden’s signalling function: a fire was lit there to signal to the neighbouring islands that the parish priest had arrived. The national heritage authority lists Sandøy kirke in Ålesund as a listed church. On Sandøya, Sandøy kyrkje is the first octagonal church built in Romsdal.

The historical points of interest offer distinct themes to explore: Prestestua is associated with the specific year 1820, while Sandøy kyrkjestad is associated with a church that stood before the Reformation. Sandøy kyrkje, by contrast, represents the first octagonal church in Romsdal. The Sandøy hamn harbour area adds the 19th century and the period that followed to this range of historical references.

Hiking Trails and Beaches

The StikkUT trail runs from the ferry terminal to Leira sandy beach and is an easy, 3.2-kilometre round trip on asphalt. Route availability may change; check that the trail is currently accessible before setting out. The Hauane trail is a varied, marked hiking route on the outer side of Sandøya. It passes through open terrain in places and offers views of Ona and the Ona Fyr lighthouse. On the StikkUT trail, the asphalt surface, easy difficulty and total distance stand out; open terrain and views define the Hauane route.

Storsanden is a large sandy beach with sand dunes. A county nature survey recorded sand couch, lyme grass and sea kale in the dunes in 2004. Leira is a sandy beach with a picnic area, benches and a wind shelter. There are beach toilets right by Prestestaua; check the local facilities before your visit.

Den Blå Timen

Den Blå Timen is a coastal culture festival on Sandøya that has been held on the last weekend of July since 2012. The programme includes concerts, an art exhibition, food and various activities. If the festival is the reason for your trip, check the dates for the relevant year.

Discover more destinations: Harøy, Ona, Molde, Ørskog, Aure, Ørsta, Rauma, Smøla.

For the broader travel overview: More Og Romsdal.