You are on Magerøya now, the bare island at the top of Norway, riding the final stretch of the E69 from Honningsvåg toward the North Cape. Behind you is the fishing town, ahead the cliff, and around you a landscape that looks almost lunar: rolling plateau of rock, moss and snow patches, no trees at all, and the sea visible on both sides. Reindeer graze here in summer, brought over by Sami herders, and they treat the road as part of their territory.
The road itself is a good one, about thirty kilometres from Honningsvåg to the cape, with long open curves, a few steeper climbs and some fine views down into bays. What makes it challenging is the weather. Fog can roll in off the Barents Sea in minutes, the wind can be strong enough to push a loaded bike across the lane, and even in July the temperature can sit in single figures. In winter the road is closed to free traffic and vehicles go in convoy behind a snowplough, so the riding season really runs from roughly May to September. Check conditions before you set out.
Getting onto the island was once an adventure in itself: until 1999 you needed a ferry. Now the North Cape Tunnel runs under the sea from the mainland, nearly seven kilometres long and dropping more than two hundred metres below sea level, with a steep climb out at either end. It is cold, damp and loud inside, and the descent can feel endless. The toll that used to apply was removed some years ago.
Honningsvåg is the last proper town, a fishing port of a few thousand people with fuel, a supermarket, cafes and hotels, and it is the place to fill up before the final run. At the North Cape itself, the clifftop plateau at 307 metres has a large visitor centre with a restaurant, a cinema and the famous globe monument, and there is an entry charge for the hall. The cape was made famous in 1553 by the English explorer Richard Chancellor, who named it while looking for a northern route to China, and it has drawn travellers ever since. Strictly speaking the neighbouring headland Knivskjellodden reaches a little further north, but it is only accessible on foot. For the midnight sun, aim for the cape between mid-May and late July, and pray for clear skies.