Photo: Ukjent fotograf (Oslo byarkiv)·CC BY-SA 3.0· Wikimedia Commons
Islands / Nesodden / Søndre Langøya
The southern part of the bathing island Langøyene in the Bunnefjord. A naturist beach lies at the southern end, and the island is used for swimming and outdoor recreation.
Søndre Langøya is the southern half of the bathing island Langøyene in the Bunnefjord. It hangs together with Nordre Langøya across the filled-in sound, so from the water you read the two as one low, drawn-out island. The naturist beach is at the southern tip.
Ferry from Aker Brygge in summer.
Times shift with the season, and several of the island boats run only in summer — check the current timetable at Ruter.
Søndre Langøya shared the fate of the rest of Langøyene. From 1904 to 1948 the islands were Oslo's rubbish tip, and the sound between them was filled in with waste until they grew together. The beach opened in 1952 with sand brought in from outside. When old waste came to the surface in 2013 with raised levels of lead and mercury, the whole island was cleaned up between 2019 and 2021, and the landfill was capped with 360,000 tonnes of fill.
The island is used for swimming and outdoor recreation. A naturist beach lies on the southern part. The ground is smooth rock, sand and grass, as on the rest of Langøyene.
A seasonal ferry runs from Aker Brygge in summer; otherwise you need your own boat. There are quay facilities. The naturist beach is at the southern tip; respect the signage.
The naturist beach at the southern tip is one of the oldest and best known in the Oslo area.
The sand people swim from was brought in from outside. Under it lie decades of Oslo's household waste, capped at a cost of more than 300 million kroner.
Oslo Sea Experience passes Søndre Langøya on its private fjord trips from Tjuvholmen.
The Norwegian version notes which facts were taken from each source: Søndre Langøya på norsk.