Are the Lofoten Islands the most beautiful part of Norway?
When I finally got to the Lofoten Islands,
I’d already visited the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, rode the famous Flåm railway,
walked the streets of Bergen, cruised through Geirangerfjord and spent a few
days exploring Sognefjord. In short, I’d
seen some of the most raved-about sites in Norway. I didn’t think I could be any
more in awe of Norway’s majestic landscape, but then I arrived in the Lofotens.
I was told to visit the Lofoten Islands
when I was staying in and AirBnB in Oslo.
My host told me it was his favourite part of Norway, and I was open to
suggestions. I had my heart set on
narrow fjords and trolls, though, so didn’t think too much of it.
The sky was misty the night the Hurtigruten
approached the jagged, craggy mountains of the Lofotens and dropped me at
Svolvær. The ominous peaks peered out of
the mist, looking grey and foreboding.
Considering this was my first foray into the Arctic Circle and I was
camping, I felt more nervous than anything else.
Svolvær is probably the biggest town center
in the Lofotens and this is where I was dropped by the Hurtigruten, picked up a hire car and set
off down south to the idyllic villages of Å and Reine. It wasn’t long before I was feeling
incredibly grateful to have been sent on this little adventure.
The main islands are connected by bridges
and tunnels, while two smaller islands are detached further south. I didn’t get a chance to visit these, but
found no shortage of things to do on the main islands. There are plenty of museums and art
galleries, a vast array of restaurants (where you will find delicacies like
whale and seal on the menu - we skipped these, obviously) and numerous outdoor activities to busy yourself
with. It’s a prime viewing spot for the
midnight sun in summer and the Aurora Borealis in winter – so you’re bound to
have your eyes cast skyward no matter when you visit.
The rugged mountains appear to rise
directly out of the blue-green sea and tower overhead. Many are within reach if you fancy yourself a
mountain climber, and offer short (but steep) paths up the tops, where you’ll
find the most magnificent views on the islands. For any outdoor pursuits, 68 North is an invaluable website, so get reading!
The view over Kvalvika Beach
If you’d like to try your luck fishing, the
Lofotens are the place to go! Norway’s
generous access laws allow you to keep your catch, and you can take 15kg of
filleted fish off the island with you.
If you’re more like me, and you’d rather
watch the sealife from afar, the Lofotens offer plenty of diving and snorkeling experiences – even at midnight! I was
lucky enough to see the vibrant midnight sun hanging above the horizon and can
only imagine getting to snorkel under its rays.
This time, it was a bit out of my budget, but I still got to see the
Lofoten Islands’ magnificent wildlife…
A pod of wild orca swimming past Reine
Spend enough time on the coast in spring
and summer, and you might get lucky enough to see wild orca or puffins. Orca breed in the waters nearby and come
close to the coast with their babies to catch fish. A few minutes before midnight, after a steep
and exhausting climb up Reinebringa, Nick and I spotted a pod of five orca
feeding off the coast at Reine. It was
amazing.
The camping on the Lofotens is easy
pickings – there are a lot more flat spots than I managed to find on Norwegian
mainland. If you consider yourself an indoorsy type, the second-best way to experience the Lofotens is to check yourself into atraditional-style red Rorbu (fisherman’s hut) with free wifi and a balcony.
Rorbu in Å
Midnight sun on Kvalvika Beach
You’ll have the best luck travelling by car
or by bike through the Lofotens. You can
walk, but the roads are narrow and the weather is quick to turn in the Arctic
Circle, even in summer. There’s also a
bus that runs along the E10 – the main road that connects the islands – but
it’s pricey and only runs a few times a day.
I rented a car through Rent a Car Lofoten in Svolvær and managed to get
a competitive price. If you intend to
hire a car, book well in advance, because most places will charge more if
they’re running low on cars!
Want more of the majestic Lofotens? I made a short video documenting our time there.
Note: The Lofoten Islands pride themselves
on having the largest traditional cod drying set up. They advertise it on postcards and in the
tourist books – it’s everywhere! If you’re not a fan of seeing (literally
millions) of dead cod strung up to wooden poles, plan your visit between July
and February.
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