Langøya is a flat island located just outside Langesund in Bamble. The 2.9 km long island has a beautiful and unique cultural landscape.
Landscape conservation area
Due to the special natural values, Langøya is protected as a landscape conservation area with its own regulations. Grazing cows keep the landscape open. Remember to close the gate, make sure your dog is on a leash, and do not feed the cows. It is not allowed to light a fire on Langøya, outside the adapted places for this.
At the northern end of the island there are beautiful shallow sandy beaches and a large grassy plain with a ball field. Tents are allowed on the grassy plain.
Coastal path
There is a blue-marked hiking trail around the island of 4.5 km which is part of the coastal trail through Bamble. The trip is an easy walk and takes approx. 1 hour. Be aware that you will need to cross some "fence splitters", which can be a challenge for some with movement problems. Most of the trail goes through landscape conservation area. It is important that the users take this into account and follow the instructions that the County Governor has set up on his own boards around the island.
Accommodation at a lighthouse
The most famous place on the island is Langøytangen lighthouse. Langesundsfjorden Kystlag offers accommodation in the old lighthouse keeper's residence at the lighthouse. The lighthouse is idyllically located in the far south and at the far end of the Telemark coast. See the website for Langesundsfjorden kystlag, tel. 0047 950 86 026 or call Visit Telemark for info tel. 0047 35 90 00 20.
The geology on Langøya
When you land on Langøya, you walk on a 450 million year old seabed! This has been transformed into limestone, but is still full of fossils. Here you will find remains of many kinds of sea animals. Kalkfjellet forms the basis for a very special flora and many rare plants, animals, fungi and lichen, reindeer rose and rare orchids.
How to get to Langøya
The ferry from Helgeroa runs past Langøya on the route to and from Langesund. See timetables for the Helgeroa ferries.
The old guardhouse is now a customs museum, with artefacts found there from long ago.
Tollpakkboden is a log-built warehouse, the main part of which dates from the early 1700s.
Langesund customs warehouse as it stands today was erected in 1869.
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