Runde Bird Island, Norway
When I’m planning a new trip, I start with the low-hanging fruit: what are the top sites and attractions to see in this new city/country/region? This basic inquiry has laid the foundation for all of my trips and has helped me spin some pretty epic itineraries. But as we do more traveling, we’ve started to yearn for those truly off-the-beaten-path moments and experiences, things that many people don’t often know about or try to see. There’s usually a reason something is “off-the-beaten-path”: it’s hard to get to, or expensive, or requires a car. But the payoff is usually remarkable–no other tourists, no lines, no waiting, and magical, untouched moments of beauty.
Runde Bird Island was that moment for us in Norway. It lies about two hours east of Ålesund, Norway’s beautiful coastal city that we called home for several nights. If you have a car, the island makes for a great half-day trip from Ålesund. Alternatively, during high season (mid-June to early-September), some tour companies offer boat rides that take you close to the island.
Matt’s love of puffins drew us to Runde Bird Island. The island itself has only 150 regular inhabitants, but from February to August, more than 500,000 birds descend upon its lush green slopes to nest. Famously, the island is home to over 80 species of nesting birds, including the white-tailed eagle, the Great Skua, the Northern gannet, and Matt’s Atlantic puffins.
Because the island is situated on the Herøy peninsula, its nesting cliffs are the southernmost in Norway. This makes for absolutely breathtaking views over the wild Atlantic ocean at the bird cliffs. Understandably, bird watchers from all over the world visit Runde to see these seabirds in their nesting phases. The island offers several hikes for avid bird-watchers through marshes where the Great Skua lay their young and to the cliffs where puffins nest. Admittedly, Matt and I aren’t bird-watchers in the traditional sense, but we share a curiosity for nature and animals. We really had no idea what to expect when we got to the island–and it completely challenged and defied our expectations.
Getting There
When we visited, the waves were dark blue and frothing with white, choppy waves. During summertime, it’s not a difficult trip onto the island, which is connected to the mainland by long, sweeping bridges that soar over the ocean.
Once you’re on the island, there is only one main road to follow to the lot where you will park your car for the bird cliffs. You’re in for a treat–this road follows the island’s western coastline.
Right before you come to the parking lot, you will pass the Visitor’s Center on your left. Be sure to stop in and say hi to the friendly staff. Along with a gift store, they serve coffee, cakes, and–oddly enough–spring rolls! The guides shared with us a map and gave us some good tips about which hikes to take to see which types of birds.
From the Visitor’s Center, keep driving along the coast until you come to a parking lot on your right, the Goksøyr Campground. It will be impossible to miss, and the road comes to a dead end very soon after that.
From the car park, you will walk to the trail, which starts on your left-hand side. It is clearly marked with lots of signs, and again, will be impossible to miss!
“Birds of Runde”
The trail will lead you up, up, up the cliffs along a designated path. You will have to open and close gates that are designed to keep the herds of local sheep and goats enclosed on the cliffs.
Whatever you do, be sure to stay along the designated area and do not enter the marshes, especially during nesting season. The habitats of this area are very fragile.
Birds, Birds, Birds
We chose to do the main hiking route, which leads from the parking lot to the puffins’ nesting cliffs. The route starts in the territory of the Great Skua, which nests in the marshes alongside the marked path. Above our heads, white gannets flew around us. They look like seagulls and are quite easy to spot since they hang out closer to the coastline.
The Great Skua prefers the higher cliffs, so you have to climb to see it. We were lucky enough to see several circling above us during our hike. You can spot the Skua from their wings–the birds are brown with flashes of white on their wing tips, which makes them pretty easy to see in the sky. Plus, they’re huge! On average, they’re about 2 feet long, with a wingspan of four feet!
One even landed right in front of us. We immediately stopped, afraid to provoke him (or her!) The bird stared us down for a full minute. (And my mom told me “you know it’s a girl because only a female can stare you down like that.”) I know this because I was so cold in the wind that I almost sat down in the grass. When he was sure we weren’t a threat to him or his young, he walked over to his nest in the marsh and sat down. We passed him quickly and cautiously after that.
After an arduous hike up to the cliffs (about 45 minutes long, but it felt like 3 hours in the wind), we arrived at the cliffs.
It was absolutely incredible to stand at the edge and look down at the Atlantic Ocean below. It reminded me of being on top off the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland, staring at the 700-foot sheer drop below me with the waves hammering against the rocks.
We did not see any puffins that day, but the blame falls entirely on us. We were far too cold and unprepared to continue the hike at this point. It was such a beautiful, clear, sunny day, but with the wind battering us, we knew we couldn’t spend time making the climb down the other side of the cliff to the puffins’ nesting area.
Lesson Learned…Come Prepared!
Do not underestimate these hikes. Online guides and native Norwegians will tell you that it’s “an easy walk” up to the bird cliffs. I am a reasonably fit person and my love of nature usually will propel me through the toughest obstacles–but the bird cliffs challenged me!
The walk to the cliffs is uphill on a stone pathway, which is easy enough. The difficulty was the wind. On the day we visited, we were absolutely pummeled by the wind coming off the Atlantic.
It was harsh, cold, and so strong that I even have a video of it pushing me back. Most visitors we saw were well-prepared for this excursion, decked out in hiking boots, hats, goggles, and windbreakers. Matt wore shorts.
Still, as you can tell from our faces, this was one of the very best experiences we’ve ever had. Adventure depends on attitude. It was cold, yes, but Runde makes you feel like you’re at the very edge of the world, with the deep blue ocean clamoring at your feet. You can almost imagine what it must have felt like to be an explorer discovering a new land. Come for the birds, come for the adventure, come for the surprises, and come for the views. Runde now holds a very dear place in my heart and I’ll always, always treasure the cold, blustery, perfect day we had.
