Torvik – quiet island life with a history of secrets
A port surrounded by sea eagles, puffins and tales of treasures and resistance.
Hop off at the tiny port of Torvik to explore the island of Leinøya and its surrounds. The island is one of several linked by bridges that make up the strikingly beautiful Herøy municipality.
To its northeast, the seabird-rich Runde is a real-life treasure island; in the 1970s, divers recovered 57,000 gold and silver coins from an 18th-century sunken Dutch ship here. It was one of the biggest hoards of coins ever found in Europe.
Year-round, sea eagles soar through the skies, while nesting season (April–August) brings around 100,000 puffins to its shores.
Torvik: buried treasures, resistance and fishing riches
There’s no doubt you’re sailing an ancient route here. Rock carvings depicting boats have been discovered in Sunnmøre, just to the north, and in 1920 locals dragged an 8th-century rowing ship from the marsh in Kvalsund, on the island of Nerlandsøya to the west of Torvik. It’s believed to be one of the earliest examples of a Viking Age boat ever found.
Tiny Skorpa island, the most western of Herøy’s six main islands, played an important part in the Norwegian resistance during World War II. It was a station for the Shetland Bus – a small but vital secret wartime operation that ran agents and refugees between Norway and Scotland’s Shetland Islands.
Today, the main order of business in Herøy is fish, with several farms and processing factories dotted across the islands.
What is the weather like in Torvik?
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Min (°C) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
Max (°C) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 78 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 7 |
Visit Torvik with Hurtigruten
How long will I be in port?
Northbound
In port: 10 minutes
Southbound
In port: 10 minutes
As seen from the sea
Seated on the eastern coast of Leinøya, Torvik consists of a handful of low warehouses and traditional homes dotted between the sea, fields and forested hills.
Just around the corner to the south, you’ll sail beneath the 544-metre-long Herøybrua, one of the network of bridges connecting the municipalities main islands.
Neighbouring ports of call
Ålesund
Entrancing architecture and a watery setting enchant in this archipelago town.
Molde
The ‘City of Roses’ serves up soft sea air, a skyline of 222 peaks and Norway’s most iconic jazz festival.