Island Round June 9, 2026

Today we will visit the lighthouse of Lindesnes. But first, we will stop by Under, the largest underwater restaurant in the world.

The underwater restaurant “Under” is located in the village of Spangereid in the municipality of Lindesnes, Norway. Its dining room is situated 5.5 meters below sea level. With an area of 495 square meters, it is the largest underwater restaurant in the world and accommodates 40 guests. It is the only underwater restaurant in Europe and the third globally. “Under” also serves as a marine laboratory and supports research in marine biology. The restaurant was designed by the Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta. Impressed by this construction, we move on to the Lindesnes lighthouse. South Cape

The name Lindesnes comes from Old Norwegian and means “Where the land sinks into the sea.” The waters around Norway's southernmost point are also known as “Lidelsens Nes.” Here, where two seas meet, current and wind prevail over life and death.

The Lindesnes lighthouse is Norway's oldest lighthouse station and the southernmost cap point of the country.

On February 27, 1656, Norway's first beacon was lit in Lindesnes. It consisted of 30 tallow candles burning at the top of a three-story tower. This was a poor solution, and constant complaints from sailors led to the fire being extinguished after just a few months of operation. It was not until 1725 that lighthouse operations resumed.

Since the Middle Ages, the shipping route between the countries of the North and Baltic Seas has been one of Northern Europe's most significant trade routes. Along with Skagen Odde at the northern tip of Denmark, Lindesnes was the most important landmark for navigation in and out through Skagerrak.

The cast-iron tower in Lindesnes, at 16.1 meters, is not particularly tall, but in clear weather, the light is visible for 20 nautical miles (37 km). The lens apparatus is among the largest, a so-called first-order lens of French manufacture. Under extreme conditions, the sea can break over the engine house and the tower.

The Lindesnes lighthouse is a protected cultural monument. The protection regulation includes all buildings, facilities, and outdoor areas on the site. Today, the station presents itself essentially as it was after the modernization in the early 20th century when three permanent families lived in the lighthouse.

On the lighthouse grounds, one can also find many traces of the German installations from World War II, with house foundations, tunnels, gun emplacements, and rooms blasted into the rocks. Parts of this installation are now open to the public and are used, among other things, for exhibitions. Through beautiful nature, past lovely rivers, we return to our accommodation.