Glacier walking, kayaking and rafting

Rana Spesialsport offers guided glacier trips to both Svartisen and Okstindan. They also do guided kayaking trips along the coast of Helgeland, from the Nesna islands in the south to Rødøy and the Melfjord in the north. The area is perfect for kayaking with thousands of islands, calm water and beautiful surroundings. You can also contact Hav og Fritid at Nesna for hiring kayaks and guided trips.

Go deep-sea rafting with Polarsirkel Maritime or Opplevelse Helgeland. In high speed you cover a large area in this beautiful scenery, and it is really exciting. The Rana River is Northern Norway’s best white water rafting river. Here you will also find some of the world's best kayaking rivers and drops.

For those who want a slower speed, why not take a trip out to Myken Lighthouse? This is as far out to sea you get, and here they have sailing classes with the 37 feet Colin Archer S/Y "Josefine".

Diving and caving

Nesna Feriesenter and Polarsirkelen Kystferie offer diving trips in the archipelago all year around. In the crystal clear water you will have a great adventure in a sea area rich on fish, plants and corals.

In the area surrounding Mo i Rana you will find a lot of caves. The most famous ones are the easy Grønligrotta and the more demanding Setergrotta. Here you can see rivers, waterfalls, stalactite and other formations. If this is not exciting enough, there are hundreds of other caves you can explore on you own. Just remember, be careful.

For a different experience in the mountains, go riding. You can join trips for just an hour, or follow the trails for two or three days to the old, venerable Umbukta Mountain Cabin close to the Swedish border.

Island hopping and hiking

If you have ever dreamed of island hopping in spectacular surroundings, this is the area to do it in. Nice roads along the mainland and large islands such as Tomma, Lurøy, Hugla and Handnesøya, or smaller islands like Myken, Træna, Lovund, Rødøy and Sleneset. Beautiful beaches and bays, high and spectacular mountains, and thousands of islands. What about joining a wite-tailed eagle safari at Træna where you might see 30 eagles at the same time.

Island hopping also allows you to go hiking in the mountains of Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park. Walk the Nordland Trail, or go hiking in the area surrounding the Okstindan Glacier.

Fishing

Whether you are keen on deep -sea fishing, river fishing or fishing in fresh water lakes, you will find you own special place regardless of time of year. Go deep-sea fishing for cod, catfish, coalfish, golden redfish, halibut and many other species, river fishing for salmon and sea trout, and fresh water/ice fishing for trout and char.

Festivals

Nordland Theatre’s Winter Light Festival kicks off the cultural year in February every year. From then on you can visit cultural events such as Blåvegen, Vargtrekket and Vetenrennet Ski Festivals, the celebration of Mo i Rana’s sculpture, Havmannen, the eventful Boat and Fjord Festival at Hemnesberget, Svarisenfestivalen, Hemnes Jazz Festival, and Smeltedigelen Blues Festival.

Even if these are excellent festivals, the two major festivals are Trænafestivalen and Vikafestivalen. Both festivals offer excellent artists and thousands of visitors.