Check out our adventure in Lofoten Islands and discover the charm of these untamed islands above the Arctic Circle
"Traveling tends to magnify all human emotions" - Peter Hoeg
We actually don't know if it's because the Northern Lights, the incredible icy landscapes beyond every words or because the absolute quiet we are no longer used in our cities. Lofoten Islands really moved us and surprised with their wild beauty.
Our itinerary in a nutschell
29/03/2018: Hov
30/03/2018: Ã…, Reine, Ramberg and Flakstad beaches, Nusfjord
31/03/2018: Eggum, Ballstad, 815 panoramic route
01/04/2018: Henningsvaer, Kabelvag, Svolvaer, Fv82 panoramic route
Day 1 - Getting there
Our adventure starts at the Evenes airport where we rent a car to start our road trip.
The sky is partially cloudy but we learn immediately that here conditions can change as frequently as we never imagined before: in 15 minutes a clear blue sky can bring a heavy snow storm and viceversa.. Temperature is around 0 degrees and this is due to the Gulf stream, the warm marine current which maintains a mild oceanic climate in this archipelago.
Our car is fully equipped with studded tyres because during winter most of the roads are covered of snow and few kilometers far from the airport we are immediately turned up in a breathtaking landscape of ice, fjords and snow-clad mountains plunging into the sea.
We drive for 3 hours and half (200 km) following the E10 to reach Gimsøya island and the Lofoten Links lodge (http://lofotenlinks.no/accommodation/lofoten-links-lodges/?lang=en) in Hov where will stay for the next 3 days. The lodge is incredibly charming, with a great view to the North and the ocean.
It's time to have dinner in the small restaurant of the lodge and to taste some local food specialties: tonight reindeer.
Day 2 - Moskenesøya & Flakstadøya
After breakfast we point the southern end of the archipelago following the E10 highway, with some photographic stop-over on our way. Along the road we find also several cod-drying racks revealing one of the most important activity of these islands: the fishing.
Our first leg is Ã…, an adorable small fishing village characterized by a shoreline of red fisher's huts (rorbuer). We wander a bit along the village trying to think how hard could be life for fishermen in the past, then we head to Reine and its beautiful blue-water bay, where we benefit of a sunny window to take some pics and to try another local specialty: the stockfish.
Passing through Ramberg and Flakstad beaches, we arrive in Nusfjord harbour, the oldest and well preserved fishing village of Norway. Seagulls are the undisturbed masters of the area and we decide to stroll along the pier and its historical buildings.
It's time to come back to our lodge for dinner and for our first Northern Light gaze; we are really excited even though both weather and Aurora forecasts are definitely against us: cloudy sky and low activity..
Day 3 - Gimsøya & Vestvagøya
Our morning starts with a quick visit to the Hov Hestegård (https://hovhestegard.no/?lang=en!), a small horse farm where we meet some sweet icelandic horses. They are quiet and really happy to be fed from our hands, allowing us to take some selfies with them.
Driving along the scenic coastal route to Eggum we find some unexpected graffiti by Pøbel, a Norwegian street artist, covering an abandoned building . The contrast between the painted walls and the wild nature of this inhabited area is really intense and for few moments you can almost lose the sense of time.
The rest of the morning is dedicated to the visit of Eggum village and the Borga Eggum, the remains of a radar station built by the Germans during World War II.
After lunch we pass through Ballstad, a picturesque village where the fishermen's colorful houses create nice reflection in the sea. Then we decide to take the 815 panoramic route to come back to Hov; the journey is amazing, with awesome picture-postcard scenes at almost every turn.
Our hosts in the Lofoten Links restaurant surprise us with a delicious typical dinner with local fishes where we wait the pitch black to try again the Aurora safari; we are really excited setting the cameras and we feel that this is our opportunity. Around midnight something appear in the sky between the clouds and a little shout of amazement greets the green Aurora above our heads.
Day 4 - Austvagøya
The last of day is dedicated to Austvågøya, the largest island of the archipelago located at north-east.
We drive to Henningsvær, a fishing village mostly known for its soccer field surrounded by fish drying racks and a breathtaking landscape; the football pitch is actually covered with snow so we give up to improvise a match.
We pass through Kabelvag and Svolvaer, a busy port town with some nice restaurants, and we decide to take the Fv82 panoramic route. The small road twist and turn through amazing fjords where cliffs reflect in the water creating dramatic scenes.
Our journey turns to the end and flying over the Lofoten islands and the Arctic circle we come back home happy bringing forever with us the wild beauty of these wonderful icy landscapes.
To discover more about these places, have a look to our posts and stories dedicated to Lofoten Islands dated April 2018 on our Instagram page @2intour
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