The last kilometres of the road to Havøysund run across one of the barest landscapes in Norway, a coast of grey rock, heather and lichen, with the Barents Sea on one side and nothing taller than a person for miles. Ávanuorri is the Sami name for Havøysund, the fishing village at the end of the road, and this point lies just before you reach it, on the open stretch where the road makes its final run toward the village.
The Havøysund route is one of the more remote National Tourist Routes in Norway, branching off the main road near Kokelv and running northwest along the coast for about seventy kilometres. It passes old fishing settlements, sheltered bays and long, empty stretches of shore where the only signs of life are reindeer, which graze along the coast in summer, and seabirds. The road was only completed in the twentieth century, and before that the communities here were reached by boat. There is a rest stop at Selvika, with a curving wooden walkway down to the beach.
The riding is not technical, but it is atmospheric. The road follows the shore, with short climbs, gentle bends and long views, and the surface is generally decent, although frost heave and patching are normal this far north. The wind is the biggest factor, sometimes strong enough to push the bike sideways, and the weather can change quickly from clear to fog. In June and July the sun never sets, and the light at midnight on this coast is extraordinary. Watch out for reindeer on the road, which do not move quickly and sometimes not at all.
Havøysund, a few minutes away, has the services for this end of the route: a shop, a cafe or two, fuel and accommodation. There is little else for many kilometres, so make sure the tank is healthy when you leave the main road. If the weather is kind, ride the route out in the evening and back in the small hours, when the low sun turns the rock pink and you may have the whole coast to yourself.