Mehamn Travel Guide: Tips & What to Do in the Nordkyn Fishing Village
Close to the top of the Nordkyn Peninsula sits the village of Mehamn. Boasting a population of just over 700, this fishing village in Gamvik Kommune is not on a lot of travelers’ bucket lists. In fact, I don’t know a single person (aside from myself) who has visited. Needless to say, I hope I can update this guide in the future and remove that last sentence.
I know Norway pretty well and have had my eyes on Mehamn for some time. Turns out, the reason I wanted to visit (birdwatching) was actually something that was easier done from Gamvik, another village around 20 kilometers up the road.
The Nordkyn Peninsula (often written Nordkinn) doesn’t get nearly the number of tourists it deserves. At least on-land visitors. The cruise ships stop at Kjøllefjord and Mehamn.
But outside of some campervans, there are not many people cruising around Nordkyn in their cars, leaving Mehamn and some of these communities somewhat forgotten about in the eyes of tourists.
In this guide, I discuss what it’s like to visit Mehamn, Norway, including what to do, where to stay, and some tips for your trip.
There isn’t much to do at this point, but if you’re a nature lover, you’ll be just fine! Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks!
In this guide, I’ll walk you through the following:
About Mehamn, Norway
Mehamn (Sami: Donjevuotna, Kven: Meehamina) is the largest village in Gamvik Kommune in Finnmark. It is situated on the Vedvik Peninsula, which is part of the larger Nordkinn one (Nordkyn is typically used for tourism purposes). To the west of Nordkyn is the Laksefjord and to its east is the Tanafjord. Up north, however, is the wild Barents Sea, which Mehamn has easy access to.
In Mehamn, you’ll find a church, hotel (along with some guesthouses and rentals), a delicious bakery, and a Christmas museum. The village’s previous claim to fame was that it was known for its whaling station, which was built in 1884-1885.
It was Finnmark’s largest and closed in 1904, when local fishermen destroyed it the previous year in an uprising referred to as the Battle of Mehamn. The Battle of Mehamn actually started due to the lousy years of cod and capelin fishing in the area, which fishermen ultimately blamed on the whaling.
The climate of Mehamn is a subarctic one, even though it looks a lot colder in the photos I am posting here (blame the non-stop rain I faced). The wind, on the other hand, can be pretty brutal, and the winters are quite long in this part of the world.
There is a small airport in Mehamn that is served by Widerøe (connections to Tromsø and other villages along the Milk Run).
Good to Know
Mehamn (and Gamvik Kommune) is one of the poorest places in Norway. If you have a chance to spend money at local businesses in Mehamn and Gamvik, please do so. I list a few in this guide.
How to Get to Mehamn
There are a few ways to reach Mehamn, as I kind of touched upon above. You can get there by plane, the Hurtigruten/Havila, or by car. I drove there in my own car, so I don’t have experience with the other two options.
The Hurtigruten and Havila ships stop in Mehamn, and a lot of passengers will disembark at the earlier stop in Kjøllefjord, do a small program, and then get driven up to rejoin their cruise ship in Mehamn.
Mehamn Airport (airport code: MEH) is small and only served by Widerøe via flights from Tromsø. It sits on Widerøe’s famous Milk Run, which does flights to remote Arctic communities.
Good to Know
During the summers, there are A LOT of reindeer on the Nordkyn Peninsula. Be alert at all times, especially between the crossroads to Kjøllefjord and down to Mehamn.
The easiest way to get there in summer, if the other two are not an option, is to drive. If you’re coming from Finland or Kirkenes, you need to find your way to the E6 and head north to Nordkyn on the Fv888.
Otherwise, you can head there from the Lakselv area toward Ifjord, which is at the base of Nordkyn.
Kolonnekjøring (Convoys) on Nordkyn
One thing to know about traveling on the Nordkyn Peninsula is that there are convoys everywhere during the winter months. And some of them are locally managed. Here are the Vegvesen-managed convoys on the Nordkyn Peninsula:
- Fv98 Børselvfjellet to Olgabakken-Kunes (impacted if coming from the west)
- Fv888 Bekkarfjord to Hopseidet (this will impact everyone visiting Mehamn or Kjøllefjord on the Nordkyn Peninsula)
The locally-managed one that could impact you is the Fv8072 road from Mehamn to Gamvik. You can find more about these here (the document is from 2017, but it still seems to be the up-to-date one).
There is a Facebook page that seems relatively up-to-date (although only in Norwegian) that gives information on the traffic and roads on Nordkyn. You will not have convoys if you’re visiting in summer, so disregard this section if that is the case.
How To Use This Map
You can use your fingers/mouse to zoom in and out. To get more info about a place, simply touch/click the icons. Want to save this map for later use? Click the ‘⭐’ by the map title and it will add it to your Google Maps account (Saved > Maps or ‘Your Places’).
Things to Do in Mehamn
As mentioned before, there is not a lot going on in Mehamn, especially if you’re not there for a deep-sea fishing adventure. Here are a few things to do in Mehamn:
- Check out the Mehamn Church (also gives a good view over the village and Mehamnfjord)
- Take a day trip to Gamvik village (Slettenes Fyr, Slettenes Nature Reserve, and the Gamvik Museum are all worthwhile stops there)
- Have a waffle at Otto Jenssens Bakery
- Hike to Cape Nordkinn (this is the REAL northernmost point of the European mainland, even though North Cape markets itself as that)*
- Visit Nissehuset (this is a Christmas Museum that has a pub and small eatery; you will need to contact them to open it for you since it only runs on a cruise-ship schedule at this point)**
- Go fishing with Nordic Safari (they also offer more than fishing excursions)
- Try fried cod tongues at the Mehamn Arctic Hotel (this is one of the only places to stay in Mehamn, and they are known for their local cod and boknafish)
*If you want to hike from Mehamn/Sandfjordvannene to Cape Nordkinn (Kinnarodden), you’re looking at a 23-kilometer hike (around 14.3 miles) one-way that will likely require an overnight.
There is also the option to take a chartered boat back to the village, however. Cell phone service is sparse on this route, so this needs to be pre-arranged. Please note that this is a difficult trail and not for inexperienced hikers.
**The info here says that Nissehuset is open daily, but I went in August, and it was definitely closed… so contact them ahead of time and arrange a visit. Tickets are 100 NOK for adults (about $10).
Where to Eat in Mehamn
There aren’t many options for places to eat in Mehamn, but what I saw was Otto Jenssens Bakery (I had a waffle and coffee there!), the Mehamn Arctic Hotel’s restaurant (I didn’t try it out), Lorden Kro (King crab and pub food), and the Nissehuset I mentioned above.
There is also a MIX in town, which has hot dogs and other small things to eat.
Where to Stay in Mehamn
I found a few spots for places to stay in Mehamn, but I ultimately decided to stay overnight for a few days in Gamvik (about 20 minutes away) instead. Here are the options in Mehamn:
- Mehamn Arctic Resort (centrally-located, but the reviews are so meh for the price…)
- Blue House at the End of the World (probably where I would have stayed if I didn’t stay in Gamvik)
- Adventure Camp Mehamn (rorbuer that cater to traveling fishermen)
If you want to stay where I stayed in Gamvik, you can check out the prices and availability for Gamvik Brakkebo here. This place looks so unassuming in photographs, but I LOVED it. I thought it would be loud, but the units are surprisingly super quiet, and I had views of the sea from my room.
Mehamn Travel Tips
☔ Weather: When I visited Mehamn, it rained. And it rained. And it rained. But the temperature wasn’t too bad (I went at the end of August).
The hottest month tends to be July (average high of 14C/57F) and the coldest month is February (average high of -3C/27F). This is a treeless area of Norway, and the landscapes are pretty wild and windswept. October is the wettest month in Mehamn.
☀️ Daylight: Mehamn experiences the midnight sun from around May 12 until July 31. Båtsfjord experiences the polar night from around November 20 until January 22.
⛽ Gas: There is a Bunker Oil in Mehamn. That was the only place I saw selling gas in town. I ended up filling up when I was in Kjøllefjord. Regardless of where you fill up, be prepared to pay a pretty penny, as the gas in this region is so expensive due to the few options.
🍎 Grocery stores: There was a really nice Coop Prix in Mehamn that I went into a few times. They sell all the necessities and then some! They are open daily from 9am until 10pm and are closed on Sundays.
Should you visit Mehamn, Norway?
If you are on the Nordkyn Peninsula, absolutely! It is a beautiful area and the gateway to Gamvik village (which has some cool things to do).
Mehamn doesn’t get a lot of attention, but there is definitely enough to see there and nearby that it is worth spending at least one night there. Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Thanks!
More Nordkyn & Sværholt Travel Guides
- Gamvik travel guide
- Skjånes travel guide
- Silfar Canyon in Børselv
- Børselv and Sværholt travel guide
- Pirate Husky in Børselv
