Lofoten Islands

The Lofoten islands string out into the Norwegian Sea above the Arctic Circle as a wall of sharp peaks rising straight from the water, their feet lined with red fishermen's cabins, white-sand beaches and drying racks of cod. Linked by a scenic road and bridges, they are the most spectacular islands in the country.

History

Human settlement here reaches back at least 11,000 years, and Iron Age farming and habitation can be traced to about 250 BC. Vágar, near today's Kabelvåg, was the first known town in northern Norway, and for more than 1,000 years the islands have been the centre of great winter cod fisheries, with the catch long exported south through Bergen (Wikipedia, Lofoten).

What you'll find

• Reine and Hamnoy - the classic red-cabin villages beneath towering peaks.
• White-sand beaches - Haukland, Kvalvika and Uttakleiv, Arctic beaches of turquoise water.
• The peaks - the jagged mountains rising sheer from the sea, laced with hikes.
• The cod fishery - the winter cod, the drying racks and the fishing heritage of the islands.

When to go

Summer for hiking, beaches and the midnight sun; late winter for the northern lights, the cod season and snow on the peaks. Spring and autumn are quieter between the two.

Practical notes

The islands are strung out over a long distance, so getting around takes time and ideally a car. Summer is increasingly busy with the fame the photos have brought, and accommodation books far ahead. The famous turquoise beaches are Arctic-cold, more for looking than swimming.

Nearby

Senja and the Vesteralen islands lie to the north; the mainland and the Arctic city of Bodo connect by ferry.

Key facts