Lofoten travel guide

Å is not just another picture perfect fishing village in Lofoten, it's a proper town with real people. If you're into the magic of stockfish, there is a museum dedicated to the delicacy, the only one of its kind in the world.

A stunning beach with soft white sand and crystal blue water. It's squeezed in by mountains on one side and there are big boulders in the shallow water. However, the parking lot gets filled quickly, since several hikes start from here.

For the absolute best view of Haukland Beach hike up the mountain behind it. To get to the trail, cross the road and follow the sealed road away from the beach. After a couple of hundred meters a mud trail veers off up the mountain side. Just follow that until you reach the peak. It can both get muddy and rocky. Sections at the top can be particularly tricky with some scrambling needed. A return trip will take a couple of hours.

Henningsvær is one of the cutest fishing villages in Lofoten, and that says something. The wooden houses are colorful and there are plenty of shops, restaurants and accommodation options. The old caviar factory has been turned into a contemporary art museum named unpretentious Kaviar Factory. There are many tours to join depending on the season; northern light, whale safari,
The football stadium has become a bit of an icon; a green field located on its own island and surrounded by cliffs. If the ball is kicked too far off, it will end up in the sea.

Nusfjord is another cute historical fishing village in Lofoten. It's very compact and is a bit more groomed than some of the others, which is probably one of the reasons why it's on most visitors' itinerary.

One of the most popular hikes in Norway is the relatively short, but strenuous, hike to the summit of Reinebringen Peak. The trail is steep and made up of giant granite steps laid by Nepali sherpas in 2019. There are 1566 steps (we didn't count) and then some scrambling for the last 150 meters before reaching the peak and the incredible rewarding views over Reine village and parts of Lofoten archipelago. Be careful at the summit, because the drop is deadly. Don't be fooled by the short distance (6 km return from the parking lot in Reine), the hike feels more like a 2 hours non-stop session on a stairmaster.

The white sand beach at Ramberg is long with crystal clear water. A campground is taking up some of the space at the front, but there is a parking lot with toilets on the side. The rolling waves attract arctic surfers. Ramberg Beach is very close to Flakstad, which has a fine red wooden church.

Svolvær is the capital of Lofoten. It's a proper town with a small marina. Svolvær is probably most famous for the 150 meters tall pinnacle, Svolværgeita, which thrones over the town. It's possible to scale the Svolværgeita, but climbing gear is needed, though the climb isn't technical. A return trip is set to 5 hours and can be done by joining a tour.

Surfing in Arctic waters is a thing in Lofoten. The great wave conditions lurk surfers from around the world into the cold sea. Of course they are dressed in the thickest wetsuits, but it is nevertheless brutally cold. There is a whole surf community in the small village of Unstad with surf schools and hostels.