Jæren – The Børaunen hike

Last modified 18.03.2022 | Published 25.11.20122010's, Norway, Norway Hikes

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This is about the Børaunen hike, one of many hikes on the coast of Jæren, Norway. The hike on sand and boulders is 2.5 km one way.

 

Orientation

Sandestranda – Børaunen (Randaberg): The bay and beach at Sande makes a fine starting point for a walk on the sandy beach, on grass paths, pebbles and boulders out to a headland with two distinct cairns.

Our hike follows a marked path westwards to the peculiar and unique boulder beach at Bø in Randaberg Municipality. It is the largest of its kind in Europe. We then continue to Raunen with its many stone fences and two distinctive cairns. This walk is not suitable for strollers, wobbly legs or normal cyclists. The hike is about 2.5 km one way. It can be walked in half an hour, but one should spend at least the double to savour all the details.

This article presents one of many hikes on the coast of Jæren, Norway. Get an overview and browse the rest here. Check out map details on this link.

 

What to see

The whole trip is within Jærstrendene conservation area. There is however active farming just a few meters behind the shoreline. There are many boathouses along the trail, and a few piers. At Bøvika we even hit upon a few fishing boats.

With rotting seaweed washed up on the shore, spring comes with large numbers of buzzing and non-buzzing insects. This is of course much to the delight of all the birds and indeed we find a big variety of birds here.

After we have enjoyed the perfectly shaped stones on the half-moon shaped boulder beach, we continue along the very shallow strait towards the twin cairns at the edge of Børaunen. Out here on the peninsula there are several stone walls. The former common pasture was split between the farms at Outer Bø in 1838. There was also a herring salting facility out here in the 1800s.

 

Video from this hike

 

Further reading

This article presents one of many hikes on the coast of Jæren, Norway. Get an overview here. The hikes and corresponding articles are sorted in a north to south order. The adjacent hikes are:

North: Tungenes – Sandestranda (Randaberg): This is as far north as you get on Jæren, the tip of the Stavanger peninsula at Tungenes. Visit the lighthouse and walk on rocks along the seashore to the lovely sandy beach at Sande. If you come here on a Sunday, don’t miss Jæren’s best home baking at the Tungenes Fyr café.

South: Bø – Vistnes (Randaberg): This is a varied and wonderful hike, at times not very easy jumping from rock to rock. Large boulders, heathers and grassland, a WW2 fort, old boathouses, picturesque farms and cottages. This hike has it all. At Vistnes the conservation area stops for some kilometres, only to be resumed at Kolnes.

Valuable reading in Norwegian from the municipality of Randaberg about walks and cultural assets. “Langs kysten i Randaberg” is an information folder in Norwegian from the municipality. It is available in pdf-format.

Read more in my special article about Jæren’s geology, flora, fauna, history, people and art: Jæren – The coastline explained.

Les om strandturene på Jæren på “Sandalsand Norge”