Korsvoll: Sandy Beach and Culture on Edøya

If you’re looking for a hotel in Korsvoll, the sandy beach and Edøya’s cultural history can help guide your choice of destination. Korsvollstranda is on Edøya and is considered possibly its most popular beach. Nearby, you’ll also find historic sites and a range of attractions at Gurisentret. This lets you decide whether to focus your trip on the beach, the island’s history, or both.

Korsvollstranda: Parking and Getting Around

Visitors to Korsvollstranda must follow a specific parking rule: cars must be parked at the Edøy ferry terminal or at Gurisentret. The roads leading down to Korsvollstranda are private; parking there is not allowed without permission. Follow the signs on site. You arrive at Edøya’s ferry terminal, which also gives you access to the important historic site of Edøya, with Edøy gamle kirke and the Kulisteinen.

Gurisentret is right next to the ferry terminal. Nearby in Korsvoll, there is a waiting room and toilets for travellers; the waiting room is open daily from 06:00 to 23:00. The ferry service 1064 between Edøya and Sandvika is in effect from 1 March 2025 until further notice. Check the current departure times before travelling. In the wider destination of Smøla, express boats from Trondheim or Kristiansund also arrive at Edøya; from there, two buses continue across Smøla.

Edøya’s Cultural History

Edøy gamle kirke is one of the two oldest stone churches in Nordmøre and probably dates from around 1190. A farmstead on Edøya was known as early as the Viking Age. A rare ship burial dating from before the Viking Age was also discovered on the island. Edøya was an important trading centre, military base, and cultural centre.

Edøystjerna is also an exceptionally well-preserved and carefully assembled structure: three arms extend from a central point, and its diameter is eight metres. The Kulisteinen is also part of the region’s cultural heritage. In 2012, it was included on Norway’s Documentary Heritage Register on Smøla as one of 60 documents. It is considered one of the earliest records of the Christianisation of Norway and the first known written use of the name “Norway” on Norwegian soil.

Gurisentret and Nearby Experiences

Gurisentret is a regional cultural and coastal pilgrimage centre, offering experiences and activities for the whole family. It is also home to Smøla’s regional coastal pilgrimage centre. The centre coordinates the eleven key sites along Kystpilegrimsleia, between Selje in the south and Trondheim in the north, and helps develop the route. Kystpilegrimsleia is accessible year-round, is based at Gurisentret, and has the same opening hours as the centre; check the current hours before your visit.

A pilgrim stamp is available around the clock in Gurisentret’s waiting room and toilet area; another is located in a mailbox by the Kulisteinen. Since 2009, Gurisentret has hosted the open-air play “Fru Guri av Edøy”. The centre also has an aquaculture visitor centre, with exhibitions and activities about salmon and practical fish farming. A small beach just outside Gurisentret is ideal for swimming and looking for crabs.

Other experiences include an escape room in Edøy gamle kirke, the mobile app experience “Uvirkelig virkelig” on Edøya, and the family-friendly outdoor mobile puzzle trail “Reisen til Edøystjerna”. The app experience combines 3D footage of live actors, photogrammetry, and 3D models of cultural monuments; its story spans from the end of the Viking Age to the present day. These activities offer different formats: an outdoor puzzle trail, a mobile app experience, and an escape room in the church. Metal detectors can be used on the beach or in the area around Gurisentret. Contact the staff to arrange this; booking in advance is recommended during the summer season.

Discover more destinations: Smøla, Edøya, Holberg, Veiholmen.

Back to the main travel overview: Smøla.