Havøysund is a small fishing village of 1,000 inhabitants, with fish processing factories and a boat yard as key economic pillars. You will be struck by the varied and charming architecture, with post-war houses in different colours livening up the shoreline. The Måsøy Museum was established in a building originally built as a rectory. The collection of items consists of 19th century fishing tools and equipment. In addition there are several fixed exhibitions such as a kitchen, living room, school building and line-baiting booth. Norsk Hydro has built a windmill park on the island, which has become a landmark for people at sea. The 15 windmills are located at Gavlen, where the viewpoint and the cafe provide a stunning view to the Barents Sea and the surroundings.
Havøysund is an important cargo loading port for Hurtigruten, making it a hectic port and a quite entertaining view from deck.
Hjelmsøystauren, just off the coast of Havøysund, is a well-known bird mountain. It boasts the highest number of different bird species gathered on a bird mountain in all of Europe. Kittiwakes, common guillemots and razorbills are among the species nesting here.