The tidal current at the Saltstraumen strait is undoubtedly one of the must-see attractions when visiting the Bodø area. Saltstraumen is the world’s strongest tidal current, and the rushing flow of water is visibly massive.
Saltstraumen is located just south of Bodø, only about a 30-kilometer drive from the city. There’s a reasonably sized parking lot at the base of the bridge, but the site is popular, so it’s a good idea to arrive early to find a parking spot.
When we say “arrive early,” we mean that the tidal current is at its strongest at certain times of the day, approximately every 6 hours, and the exact times vary daily. Luckily, the visitbodo.com website provides a schedule for each day, showing when the current is at its peak. It’s worth checking the schedule in advance to time your visit properly. The current is at its strongest about an hour before and continues for about an hour after the listed time, giving you a roughly 2-hour window to witness the most powerful flow. The currents are strongest around the full and new moons.
From Land, Sea, or Air
You can observe the tidal current from different perspectives — from land, sea, or air.
From land, you can follow the walking trails that run right along the shoreline, giving you an up-close view of the currents.
Another option is to watch from above — from the Saltstraumen Bridge. The bridge rises 40 meters above sea level at its highest point, providing a broader view of the area, though less detailed than the shoreline perspective.
The third option is to hop on a boat and let the current carry you. Okay, maybe not on your own, but there are boat tours that take visitors through the whirlpools and against the currents. This looked like an incredible experience, and we definitely want to try it someday! You can easily book a boat tour through platforms like GetYourGuide, with prices around 100€ per person. The 2-hour boat trip also explores the surrounding strait area more extensively.
The powerful currents create whirlpools in the narrow strait, which can be up to 10 meters in diameter and 4-5 meters deep. The whirlpools are truly impressive to see, and you can feel their force even from the shore. The current also causes small differences in water levels, making the sight even more dramatic.
Services and Other Attractions
Near the parking area, there’s a building with a café-restaurant and public restrooms open 24/7. On Google Maps, it’s marked as a visitor center — perhaps it once was, but nowadays, it seems to function solely as a restaurant.
In front of the café-restaurant, you’ll find a sheep pen, and watching the sheep is always a delight, whether in an enclosure or along a hiking trail. Behind the building, there’s an old bunker, presumably from wartime, strategically overlooking the strait. The area also features a memorial for prisoners of war held in a WWII prison camp.
Nearby, you’ll also find the Saltstraumen Museum, which delves into the area’s long history. The rich marine life created by the powerful currents has attracted people to the area since the Stone Age. In fact, Saltstraumen is home to one of Norway’s oldest documented settlements, dating back 11,000 years. The museum showcases various artifacts from different historical periods.
For birdwatchers, the area is particularly interesting as it hosts the world’s largest population of sea eagles, which the tidal current feeds by bringing fish to the surface.
All in all, Saltstraumen is absolutely worth a stop when exploring the Bodø area — you can easily spend a few hours marveling at the tidal currents and everything the surrounding nature has to offer.
