Places: Å, Reine, Hamnoy, Sakrisøy, Nusfjord, Henningsvær, Svolvær, Haukland Beach, Uttakleiv Beach, Ramberg Beach, Ryten & Kvalvika Beach, Reinebringen, Offersøykammen, Andenes
I always struggle to explain exactly how beautiful Lofoten Islands is. And ‘beautiful’ is a huge understatement, believe me! Everything else feels overrated once you have experienced Lofoten!
Å, the last village of Lofoten archipelago
If you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings, Lofoten is Middle Earth, with lonely mountains, the Shire, and endless waterfalls like Rivendell. If you love Harry Potter, you’ll find yourself reminded of Hogwarts’ magical lakes and the Forbidden Forest. And for fans of Indian folklore, Lofoten is a blend of The Jungle Book and Panchatantra with a canopy of green, mystical creatures like moose and Arctic foxes, and mountains crowned by green, dancing auroras.
Haukeland trek – from the top!
The Lofoten Islands, is an archipelago in Northern Norway, but it’s truly a world of its own! Jagged peaks, endless fjords, picturesque fishing villages, bird watching experience in rib boats, and Henningsvær Stadium, a football field perched dramatically on a rocky islet surrounded by the sea, a one of it’s kind in the world! From the iconic Reine and Hamnøy to the white-sand beaches of Haukland and Ramberg, every corner takes your breath away! And at the very end of the archipelago lies Å, the last village of Lofoten with just 150 residents, offering a glimpse into traditional fishing life!
For the history buffs there is the Viking Museum, for adventure lovers the Ryten trails for panoramic views, and for nature lovers it’s like walking on a slice of heaven on earth!
Reine, a typical fishermen village of Lofoten!
Andenes lies just north of Lofoten, at the northern tip of the island Andøya, which belongs to the Vesterålen archipelago. It’s a must visit when in Lofoten for it is home to the Andøya Space Center, and the Aurora Observatory, and to pods of sperm whales and orcas (starting autumn)!
HENNINGSVÆR Football Stadium
Summer brings the midnight sun, perfect for being on the roads all day, and even indulging in some fishing and a swim in the sea (peak summer mind you)!
No matter the season, Lofoten promises unforgettable experiences, and a raw, magical beauty difficult to find anywhere else in the world!
A pod of orcas
Sharing two incredible experiences from my road trip in Lofoten
Author – Adrita
In the autumn of 2021 (mid August) me and a friend of mine were in between jobs. We had two weeks before jumping into new work and were itching to make the best of this time! We decided on a road trip to Lofoten Islands, Norway! One of the best decisions of my life!
We flew to Tromso from Helsinki and picked up our car at the airport. It’s good to get a crossover SUV because Lofoten sometimes demands driving through rocky terrain. After a day in Tromso (read our Northern Norway guide), we started on our journey towards Lofoten.
Have you ever been to a place that felt so surreal, it’s as if you were in a Van Gogh painting?? That’s Lofoten! I can go on and on about how beautiful it is, how majestic it is, what a grandeur it is, but then this blog would never end.
So here are two stories that will be etched in my heart forever.
Road tripping across Lofoten
Trying to eat a piece of chocolate: We started our trek to the top of Haukaland. It was a crisp sunny, windy day. We began in the morning and the goal was to reach the top by midday. We jumped over water streams and manoeuvred crevices, stealing moments to soak in the breathtaking beauty around us. When we reached the top, we were already craving chocolate and could not wait to grab them from our backpacks. But I remember it was so windy at the top, we didn’t dare remove our bags because we were sure they would fly away! After some elbow grease we found a nook between two huge rocks that was the perfect spot of calm amidst the whirlwind.
I never felt that I have earned that huge bar of chocolate more in my entire life! That moment of relishing the chocolate on the top of the hill, with the incredibly spectacular landscape in front of our eyes, dazzling like emeralds on perfect sunny day! This is a story that will go into the book that’s written on my life! 🙂
Haukeland trek, the chocolate and my trusted Fjallraven backpack!
Driving from the North to Andenes: We started our drive from Ramberg to Andenes around 4.00PM. Autumn in the North is crisp chilly sunny mornings, short gloomy afternoons with a chance of slight rain, pink dusks devoured by dark evenings and black starry nights! We braced for the long night drive with a stack of snacks, drinks, and 90s bollywood music!
Suddenly two pairs of shining green grey marbles appeared on the road, first misty and then glowing bright as we slowly inched closer. We squinted our eyes to realise it was a pack of arctic foxes, lazing on the warm road. As we were trying to wrap our heads around the fact that we were witnessing these extremely shy and elusive creatures, two more came out of nowhere and joined the siblings! We were spellbound.. After some time my friend said, “take out your phone and click this moment”… I jerked back to reality but before I could move, the mother fox came out of the bushes and whisked her kids away! It was perhaps a one minute spectacle, but every time I play it in my mind, it is at least a 10 mins show! 🙂 (and I’m happy I did not click any pictures, some things are just better that way)
ALOMAR Northern Lights Observatory and viewing point, Andenes, Northern Norway
Anyway, we had just gathered ourselves from this marvel and begun driving again, when something huge and webbed jumped out from the edge of the forest. This time we came to a screeching halt. It was a massive full grown moose.
It came in front of our car, looked at us for a split second (honestly we felt like a deer in the headlights because a moose has the body power to topple a car) and calmly walked away!
Disclaimer: Please do not use/ repost the images.
