Sømna is a low, green coastal district on the Helgeland coast, south of Brønnøysund, with flat farmland, lakes and a shoreline broken into small bays, islets and skerries. It is unusual country for Norway: there are no great mountains here, and the farms spread out across open land under a huge sky, with the sea glinting on one side and the distant peaks of Vega and the coastal islands on the horizon. The village of Vik is the main settlement, a small place with a church, a school and a few shops.
This stretch is part of the Kystriksveien, the Coastal Route that follows the Helgeland coast for hundreds of kilometres from Steinkjer to Bodø, using roads, bridges and ferries to link a chain of islands, fjords and small communities. It is one of the great slow rides of Norway, and Sømna is one of its gentler interludes, where you can relax after the ferries and the mountains further south.
The landscape has been farmed for a very long time, and the soil here is better than in most of coastal Norway, which is why the farms have lasted and why the district looks so much softer than its neighbours. Today the area is known for dairy farming and for its quiet beaches, some of them white sand, which are surprisingly warm to walk on in high summer, even if the water stays cold.
The riding is easy and relaxed, with gentle curves, long straights and good surface, and very little traffic outside the summer weeks. The wind can be strong on the open coast, and the weather changes quickly. The best time is a clear evening in June or July, when the sun is low and the light across the farmland and the sea is soft and golden. To the north, the mountain of Torghatten, with its famous hole through the middle, comes into view as you approach Brønnøysund.
Vik has a small shop, and Brønnøysund, about twenty kilometres north, is the larger town with fuel, cafes, hotels and all services. There is little in between, so plan your stops. The ferry crossings on the Kystriksveien follow fixed timetables, so check them before setting off.