Runde is Norway's southernmost seabird cliff and one of the country's most important breeding sites. Between April and August, roughly 700,000 birds nest on the island's western cliffs: Atlantic puffins, gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, and storm petrels are all present in numbers that make visiting feel spectacular even to non-birdwatchers.
The island is reached by a combination of bus and ferry from Ålesund — about 90 minutes each way — making it a comfortable day trip. Walking paths lead to the cliff tops, where you can sit within a few metres of puffins coming and going from their burrows. The island also has a small village, a church, and the dramatic offshore rock stacks known as Rundebranden.