We were on the little island of Sommarøy, the final stop of our incredible winter trip around Norway - a country that has very quickly become one of the most beautiful I've ever visited. It's a gorgeous one-hour drive from Tromsø.
In summer, Sommarøy is an excellent place to experience the midnight sun, where darkness never comes as the sun never sets. In winter, it's a totally different experience as the sun is only up for a few short hours, hanging low in the sky, casting a gorgeous golden glow across everything it touches and long shadows. When the sun is down, you have the chance to see one of the world's most magical phenomenons: the aurora borealis or the northern lights.
If you're lucky, and you've got clear skies and the right KP index and levels of solar wind - check the My Aurora Forecast app to track when the best possibilities for spotting them might be - then you might just get to witness the majesty of one of the world's greatest natural phenomenons dancing across the clear skies.
We had seen them only once very briefly in Tromsø, but then got SO lucky and got to see the northern lights both nights we were in Sommarøy, the second night even clearer than the first, and they lit up the entire sky with ripples and waves of pulsing green light. I will never, ever forget the experience.
You can read my entire guide to visiting Sommarøy, with all my tips for getting there, where to stay and what to do while you visit this slice of paradise.
23 October 2023 in Tromsø
