The village is located along the Kåfjordelva river (Northern Sami: Gáivuoneatnu) at the end of the Kåfjorden in the Kåfjorddalen valley.

The whole area around the end of the fjord is called Kåfjordbotn (Northern Sami: Gáivuonbahta).

[1] Birtavarre is located along European route E6 about 18.3 km (11.4 mi) southeast of the municipal centre of Olderdalen (on the north side of the fjord) and about 12.5 km (7.8 mi) southeast of Samuelsberg and Manndalen (on the south side of the fjord).

Birtavarre is an old mining town with smelters in Ankerlia that are preserved by the Nord-Troms Museum.

The present name for the village comes from the nearby mountain Pirttivaara which derives from an old Kven language name.