The Jæren beaches & Norwegian Scenic Route Jæren

Season: all year. The Jæren beaches constitute the long stretched beach area along the coastline of Jæren in the southwestern part of Norway. The 70-kilometer-long beaches stretch from Southern Jæren to the north in Randaberg and the area is characteristic when it comes to important geological, botanical, zoological and cultural historical elements. The beaches at Jæren are prominent landmarks and popular recreational areas for the local population. Large sand dunes with a particular and extraordinary flora and fauna are what you encounter at Jæren. The beaches consist mostly of sand or moraine rocks that were once transported with the glaciers during the last Ice Age and washed clean by the ocean. Some areas where the ocean is at its most extreme, you will also be able to spot large collections of boulder rocks.

Huge parts of the Jæren beaches are protected landscape areas
They also include a variety of astonishing birds and plants. Norwegian Scenic Route Jæren is one of the 18 Norwegian Scenic Routes in Norway. The route takes you through some of the most stunning of Norwegian nature, amazing viewing points and adapted resting areas with exciting architectural features. Norwegian Scenic Route Jæren is often described with words such as high sky, wide horizons and endless sea. Its characteristics are ever-changing weather and light, miles of sandy beaches and sand dunes that are replaced by pebbles and salmon rivers at the other end. The area is Norway’s pantry, with an intensive agricultural activity in a flat, wide stretched and well-kept cultural landscapes in an area with mild climates all year round.

Jæren beaches, lovely both summer and winter  
The Jæren beaches are very well suited for hiking, in both summer and winter. The beaches are particularly popular during summer with buzzing bathing activity and plenty of fun. During winter, a visit to the Jæren beaches is quite the nature experience. As the Norwegian expression states it: “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing». A visit to the Jæren beaches is a wonderful experience all year, and can be spectacular in winter when the weather is at its roughest. Wrap yourself in warm clothes and feel the power of the weather gods (do not attempt going if the weather is extreme, though). The Jæren Coastline is an international Hope Spot accknowledged by Mission Blue. The changing weather at Jæren will give you a different experience every time. You can admire the fantastic Jæren light, and enjoy the sight of the waves from the North Sea breaking onto the beach. Remember warm and wind proof clothing when visiting during winter. Fantastic surfing conditions – perhaps the best in Norway?

Norwegian Scenic Route Jæren
The scenice route runs from Ogna to Bore, and is 41 kilometers in distance. The coast along Jæren is open towards the sea and has from ancient times been known to be one of the most dangerous coastlines along the Norwegan coast. The large building of the Jæren lighthouses started in the early 1800s. The task at hand was to safely lead the ship traffic on the North Sea through the luring Jæren coast in windy weather, darkness and fog. During history, a number of lighthouses were built, with Kvassheim lighthouse in 1912 being the latest to be built. Read more about the exciting projects along the routes on www.nasjonaleturistveger.no. Getting here by car: To get to Norwegian Scenic Route Jæren, follow rv. 44 from Egersund in south or from Sandnes in north.   

Important information on how to behave along the beaches at Jæren

• It is forbidden to drive motorised vehicles
• In the bird protection areas, you cannot exercise activities of disturbing effect; surfing, board sailing, kiting and dog walking.
• It is prohibited to surf/board sailing/kiting in the bird protected areas from 1 October to 31 March
• Horseback riding, bike riding, camping and tenting in the sand dunes are prohibited
• You must not walk on farmland during the growing season
• Respect people’s privacy. Do not set up a tent any nearer than 150 meters from a house or a cottage
• Permission from land owner if you camp for longer than 2 nights
• Do not light a fire in nature between 15 April to 15 September
• Respect the fact that other might use the area as their livelihood  
• If you bring along a dog in nature, you are obligated to keep it on a leash where livestock are grazing. Remember the general laws on keeping dogs on a leash
• For hunting and fishing, special rules apply that you need to be aware of
• Flying with drones are forbidden throughout the entire landscape protection area
• Larger events are not allowed without a special dispensation

For the more experienced surfers, the conditions are more rewarding in autumn. Remember it is prohibited to surf/board sail/kite on beaches affected by bird protection (1 Oct – 31 March). Kiting is only possible on the following beaches: Sola, Hellestø, Byberg, Bore and Brusand.

Fun fact about the Norwegian Scenic Route Jæren
Norwegian Scenic Route Jæren  – along the route at Jæren, the landscape is flat and a coastal landscape characterised by agriculture, and the first thing that springs to mind is perhaps not ski jumping. Jæren is not known for neither snow nor skiing, however, it was here that in 1938, the creative Ragnvald Skjærpe found out that he would build a ski jump. He had heard about ski jumping on the radio from eastern Norway, and he would very much like to organise the same at Obrestad. Most people surely thought he was a little bit crazy, nonetheless he managed to engage the local sports' club, and in 1938, the ski jump was finished; Obrestadbakken. They organised two ski jump contests in 1938, and one in 1939. The last time the ski jump was mentioned in history books, was in 1940 (Source: Sverre Askø, 1943, Nærbø turn og idrettslags historie).