The village sits about 38 kilometres (24 mi) south of Norway's fourth largest city, Stavanger.

[4] Archaeologists have found traces of human activity dating back as far as 6000 years B.C in the area.

Most of these findings have been in the vicinity of the river Hååna, which flows from the hills in the east of the municipality to the ocean in the west.

In 950, Erik the Red, founder of the first Norse settlement in Greenland was born in Øksnevad, about 17 kilometres (11 mi) north of Nærbø.

Erik the Red was also the father of the famous Viking explorer Leif Erikson, who was the first European to set foot on the American mainland in 1003.

In 1940, the Germans invaded Norway and large areas of the coastline of Jæren was lined with high explosive mines.

The village centre is located approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the North Sea coast.

Up until the mid-1980s, the village experienced relatively heavy snowfalls, and the snow tended to stay on the ground throughout the winter months.

[6] The Hå Vicarage was built in 1637 and is located to the west of the village and overlooks the North Sea.

[7] Grødelandstunet is located to the south west of Nærbø near the coast, and is a traditional farm house that has been turned into a museum.

The purpose of the museum is to give visitors an idea of how people in the region used to live in earlier times.

Because of Nærbø close proximity to the North Sea the village is blessed with easy access to several beaches, which are popular destinations for the local population during the summer months.

The beaches are also popular with surfers and are considered to be some of the better spots in Europe for wave surfing due to the rough seas the area experiences in the autumn and the winter months.

In 2006, one of the Formula 3 cars came crashing over one of the concrete guard blocks lining the outer perimeter of the track and smashed into the crowd, killing a 16-year-old spectator.

Many feared that this would be the end of the event, but stricter security measures have been introduced and approvals have been granted for future festivals.

The village boasts two indoor handball fields, one ice hockey rink, a swimming pool, and several outdoor football pitches.

In 1993, the sports administration centre in Loen burnt down to the ground, and an effort to rebuild it was immediately undertaken.