Hornøya — Local services in Vardø

It has taken me a good 2 months to digest my experience of visiting Hornøya this past summer. We had driven all the way from Switzerland to Vardø, luckily not with the only aim to visit Hornøya. The motor boat that took us there was full and after having gotten off after some 10 min ride you are confined to a single path, first running south and east and thereafter north up to the area around the lighthouse. The island is known worldwide for its rich sea bird life that allows you to shoot portraits or battles or birds in flight before you put the photographs in your computer to embellish them and subsequently post them on social media. My idea of shooting birds is not what I experienced here, eventually because I came in the height of summer along with masses of other bird photographers or bird watchers. It was just too easy, almost industrial. I gave up and took the boat back after two hours and with some 2000 shots of which I subsequently deleted over 95%. I then went to some deserted places on the Varanger peninsula where you have to patiently wait for birds to show up while you are melting into the environment, a much...

Incredibly beautiful bird paradise. When you arrive by boat, you're greeted by a wall of birds of all kinds, from A to Z. You can walk along the mountain and follow the path to the lighthouse at the top. Along the cliff shelves, there are bird nests as far as the eye can see. It's a place anyone interested in birds should consider visiting. To get there, you'll need to take a boat that departs from the tourist information center by the harbor. There are set times, but you can also request different times if you have a larger group or are willing to pay a...

It was a lovely island, although I regret not seeing a puffin walking on land. I did, however, enjoy the wonderful sight of a large flock of birds circling the island, seemingly checking for a safe landing spot. The walking trail was easy, despite our limited time, and we managed a pleasant...