Hjelmeland is a small town on the Ryfylke coast, on the north side of Boknafjorden, and it is a place where the roads and the ferries meet. Ryfylke is a region of long, narrow fjords, steep slopes and farms, and the landscape is a mix of green hillsides, grey rock and dark water. The town sits at the head of a sheltered bay, with a harbour full of small boats, a church, and a main street of low buildings. It is a working place more than a tourist one, and its life depends on farming, fish farming and the ferries that connect it to its neighbours.
The ferry connection is the point of the place. Several routes cross the fjords here, and a rider planning the ride around Ryfylke has to think about timetables. Check them before you set out, buy tickets on board or by app, and arrive in good time, since in summer, the queue can be long. The ferry crossing is also a pleasure in its own right, a quiet half hour on a ship, with the mountains around you and the water beneath. Some of the fjords here are deep and cold, and the cliffs rise straight from the water.
The roads in Ryfylke are narrow, winding and often steep, climbing over the headlands between the fjords and dropping again to the water. The surface is good, but the bends are tight, and the traffic is light, with tractors and lorries more likely than tourists. In wet weather, the slopes can be slippery, with leaves and gravel at the corners. Wind can be strong where the fjords open to the sea. Sheep roam the roadsides in summer.
The countryside has a long history of farming, and the old farms, sometimes with turf roofs or red-painted barns, are scattered along the shore. Apples and berries grow in sheltered spots, and in autumn the colours are rich. Hjelmeland has a pump, shops and cafés, and it is a sensible place to buy food and fill the tank before you go on. Jørpeland, a larger town, lies to the south-west, and has a wider choice of services. In the long summer evenings, a ride along the water at nine o'clock, in a golden light, is one of the best things the region offers.