Bjørnøya, Haram


Bjørnøya is a populated island in Ålesund Municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It lies in the Vigrafjorden, between the island of Vigra to the west and the Norwegian mainland to the east. It is connected to the Norwegian mainland through a man-made causeway. The nearest larger village on the mainland is Søvik. To the east of the Bjørnøya lies the island of Terøya. The two islands are separated by the Bjørnøysundet. The island was part of the former municipality of Borgund until 1965 when it joined Haram Municipality. In 2020, it became part of Ålesund Municipality.
There are several hamlets on the island, the notable ones among them are Bjørnøya and Fagerheim. The children on the island are served by the school in Søvik, just to the southeast.
The highest point on Bjørnøya is the tall Bjørnøyfjellet. A marked path leads up to the top. Another moderately-high peak on the central-north part of the island rises to elevation of. Other attractions on the island include the Bjørnøya coastal fort in the south. There are also beaches, forests, and wetlands in the northeast part of the island. The municipality of Haram has plans to develop two preserves on the island: one preserving shores and the other preserving the wetlands.