Karlsøy: Nature, Trails and History

Around Karlsøy, visible traces of early settlement, marked trails and natural areas can be found on Karlsøya. The landscape ranges from Stone Age house sites and historic buildings to moorland, beach and dunes. If you would like to include nature and culture in your travel plans, you will find a range of themes and places here.

Nature and landscape on Karlsøya

From a nature conservation perspective, Sandvika on Karlsøya is considered “unique in Troms”. The bay has a diverse range of plant life, including orchids, mountain avens, sand violets, alpine speedwell and the warmth-loving sand barley. There are also gently active sand dunes. Sandvika is an important and popular destination for walks and day trips among locals and visitors alike: the white sandy beach is 250 metres long, with dunes behind it stretching towards the forest. There is an outdoor toilet, a water source and several fire pits on site. Please take care in this natural area.

The Lågmyra Nature Reserve is considered worthy of national protection because it encompasses every transition from rain-fed bog to nutrient-rich fen. It is also the northern limit of the distribution of Rødtorvmose. The landscape can also be understood through its named landmarks: Veten (203 m) and Varden (156 m) are the highest areas on Karlsøya; Lågmyra forms a lower-lying isthmus.

Trails and hikes

You can hike the cultural trail on Karlsøya. It continues southeast towards the Lågmyra Nature Reserve, runs alongside old telephone poles in places and crosses the moor on a path. Parts of the Fotefar cultural trail are accessible to wheelchair users. If accessibility is important when planning your route, check before setting out which section is suitable for you.

Marked trails also run around the western and eastern parts of Karlsøya. From Sandvika, trails lead back to the settlement. This gives you a choice of different route types: the cultural trail, which heads towards the nature reserve, and trails around the island’s two parts. Check the current conditions along the route before setting out on a hike.

Traces from different eras

Traces of Stone Age house sites are still visible in Arvika on Karlsøya; house remains date from the Stone Age and the late Middle Ages. Another historic site is Vetten, which was part of a defensive system in the Middle Ages. A warning fire stood there and was lit, among other occasions, during the Karelian invasion of 1271.

Buildings also tell the story of different uses. Kvitnesstua in Været on Karlsøya is protected and restored; it was protected under Norway’s Cultural Heritage Act in 2009. The Telegrafhuset in Været served as a telegraph station from around 1915 until the end of the 1950s. Skolestua, also known as Gammelskolen, dates from 1849 and is now used as a youth centre. Check current visiting options before planning a visit. Karlsøy kirke is a wooden long church with 570 seats and was consecrated in 1854; today, it is used only to a limited extent.

In Arvikdalen, there are German gun emplacements from the Second World War. They were never put into operation because the war ended. Another episode in the area’s history concerns the newspaper Nordlys: it was printed in the servants’ quarters of the Prestegården vicarage in 1902–03 and subsequently moved to Tromsø.

Getting there by ferry

Ferry route 185 connects Hansnes, Karlsøy and Vannøy. The crossing from Hansnes to Karlsøy takes around 20 to 30 minutes. The timetable is valid from 1 January 2026; changes may be made at short notice. Check departure times before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Rebbenes, Vannareid, Hansnes, Valen, Dåfjord, Vannvåg

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