Lofoten Islands
Lofoten is an archipelago in the Norway’s Nordland county. The region is known for its unique landscape of dramatic mountain peaks contrasting with charming wooden villages painted in the traditional red and white. While being located in the arctic circle, the Lofoten archipelago experiences one of the most elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high altitude.
The islands of Lofoten display evidence of human settlement extending back approximately 11,000 years. The town known as Vågan, is the first town formation found in Norway, dating back to the early Viking age. The town is now known as Kabelvåg in the Vågan municipality. On the other hand, the Lofotr Viking Museum reconstructed with a longhouse 83 meter long is situated close to Borg on Vestvågøy island and includes many discoveries from the Viking Age and the Iron Age.
The seas surrounding Lofoten encompass a rich marine life. The Røst Reef is home to the largest deep water coral as well as other rare forms of sea life. An estimated 70 per cent of all the fish caught in Barents and Norwegian seas use Lofoten’s waters as a breeding ground. Lofoten also has a large number of sea eagles, cormorants, puffins and millions of other sea birds encircling its islands. Therefore, it has the largest sea bird colony in mainland Europe. It is possible to spot elks on the larger islands with scurrying otters also a common view along the shorelines.
In late autumn and winter there are generally strong winds in Lofoten as well as snow and sleet. Some winters with substantial amounts of snow, there can also be significant risks of avalanches coming down from the steep mountain slopes. It may not be surprising then that two of the ten most deadliest snowstorms occurred in Lofoten. May and June are the driest months in Lofoten, with the warmest temperature recorded in Svolvær amounting to 30.4 degrees celsius.
In Svolvær, the largest city in the Lofoten archipelago, the sun stays above the horizon continually from May to July, a phenomenon known as the ‘midnight sun.’ On the flip-side, in the winter the sun stays below the horizon from December to January.
There are many rock climbing and hiking opportunities among the summits, glaciers and ridges in Lofoten. The main areas that are popular for rock climbing and mountaineering are Austvågøy and Moskenesøya. However these are challenging endeavours that require a relatively high level of fitness, therefore we do not recommend doing this without substantial training and preparation beforehand.
When visiting Lofoten, we recommend that you stay in Svolvær which has a wider variety of hotels, restaurants and an airport. The flight from Oslo to Svolvær takes two hours and a half and could be priced between 120 to five hundred euros (in 2017).
When visiting the Lofoten islands, we recommend that you take a cruise around Trollfjord with the Lofoten Explorer tour company. The two-hour Trollfjord Safari has daily departures between the 1st of June to the 31st of August. The boat leaves each day at 9am, 11:30am and 2pm, costing 85 euros per adult (in 2017). Trollfjord is home to an abundant bird life and is also a beautiful example of Norway’s stately peaks plunging dramatically into deep waters.
how to make it the best experience
In addition to the suggestions made in the aweceanic article on planning an experience, consider these:
– Bring warm clothes as the weather can be unpredictable.
– Ensure that you have ample time and focus all of your senses on the views before you.
– You may wish to visit the area at a time in the year when there may be less people around. This could be before the beginning or at the end of the summer season. But do keep in mind that to take advantage of the best weather, it is recommended to visit Lofoten from early June to late August.
– Bring sunglasses, sunscreen and lots of water as the constant sun reflecting off the sea can be harsh on the eyes and skin and can also cause dehydration.
