The Atlantic Ocean Road — Atlanterhavsvegen — is one of those rare stretches of tarmac that has become a destination in its own right. Just over eight kilometres long, it threads its way between a scatter of small islands and skerries on Norway's west coast, carried across the water by a series of low, curving bridges. The most famous of them, Storseisundet, bends so sharply that from certain angles it looks as though the road simply launches off into the sea.
This film captures the road in peak season, and you'll see exactly what that means: plenty of caravans, motorhomes and fellow travellers, because this is one of the most popular tourist drives in the whole country. On a calm summer day it's a gentle, scenic cruise — but the road is just as known for its wild side, when autumn and winter storms send waves breaking right over the carriageway.
The drive includes the outbound leg and the return, so you get both directions of the view. Look out for the fishing spots, the viewpoints and rest areas built into the route, and the constant horizon of open Atlantic water. It's a short road, but it's one you'll want to take slowly.
Press play to ride the full route, and explore more of Norway's great coastal and mountain drives across my channel.
▶ Watch “Driving The Spectacular Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway” on YouTube →
