Bunes Beach

Bunes is one of the largest beaches in Lofoten, a broad plain of pale sand on the open western coast of Moskenesoya backed by dunes and grass, and reaching it is part of the point: a small passenger ferry runs from Reine into the Reinefjorden to the hamlet of Vindstad, and from there a path climbs gently over a saddle and drops to the beach in about forty-five minutes. Above the northern end rises Helvetestinden, a wall of rock nearly seven hundred metres high straight out of the sand. The valley behind holds a few houses and the ruins of abandoned settlements. Nothing is built at the beach, and the ferry timetable decides how long you can stay.

What you actually see

• The wide sand plain - one of the largest beaches in Lofoten.
• Helvetestinden - a near-vertical wall of rock above the northern end.
• The fjord ferry - the passenger crossing from Reine to Vindstad.
• The abandoned valley - old houses and ruins on the walk in.

When to go

June to September, when the ferry runs a usable schedule and the pass is clear; the midnight sun shines straight onto the beach in June and July. Ferry sailings are few and weather-dependent.

Honest expectations

The ferry timetable is restrictive, with only a few sailings a day, and missing the last one means an unplanned night out. There are no facilities at the beach. Wind funnels through the valley and the sand can blow hard.

Nearby

Reine and the Reinefjorden villages are across the water; Kvalvika and Ryten lie north on the same island.