Northern lights, mountains and surfing: It's all possible on the Lofoten Islands, Norway.
If you are looking for a journey that offers the thrill of extreme sports and the majesty of natureIf you're looking at the Lofoten Islands in Norway, it might be a great idea.
Just by looking for pictures of this island it is impossible not to dream of travelling there. This destination offers its visitors huge frozen mountains, ideal waters for surfing and the chance to witness the Northern Lights.
General information on Lofoten Islands
The Lofoten Islands are an archipelago in Norway, located above the Arctic Circle.The area is made up of seven different municipalities of great natural beauty.
Its main features include mountains and peaks, islets, beaches and large unspoilt areas. Higravstinden stands out among its mountains at 1,161 metres.
The inhabitants of Lofoten number no more than 24,500 people, who live mainly from fishing and to a lesser extent from tourism. As fishing is the main source of income for the local people, they have a cod liver oil factoryfounded in 1850, in a village called Å, and in Moskenes it is possible to visit fish drying sheds.
For those interested, it is important to note that the islands have three small airports and a heliport.
What to do in Lofoten
Its location means that you will find yourself in a arctic landscape impossible not to photograph or not to be mesmerised by. On the other hand, its mountains and peaks offer its visitors the possibility of mountaineering.
Tourists who go during the summer will have the opportunity to witness many sperm whales and humpback whales flying over the area, as well as many other seabirds such as gulls, cormorants, eagles and puffins. Those who choose to go during the winter will witness killer whales.
Another of the area's charms is to be found at its picturesque village that looks like something out of a film. These traditional fishermen's houses can be rented by tourists for days or weeks at a time.
In addition to the traditional houses, the Lofoten Islands have the largest Viking building in Scandinavia, which was discovered in 1981 and converted into the Lofotr Viking Museum.
The museum recreates the living quarters of an entire Viking clan, including all the common spaces such as workshops, dormitories and a great hall.
A journey to witness the Northern Lights
Travellers come to the Lofoten Islands looking for many things, but one of the main things they can't enjoy elsewhere are the northern lights.
For those who hope to make this trip to see this spectacle in the sky, the recommendation is to book tickets between mid-September and the end of March. It should also be noted that the weather in this archipelago is quite cold.
It is possible to see the Northern Lights from anywhere in Lofoten, however, there are often recommendations for specific sites where the experience can be much more extraordinary.
One of the options is to sign up for a tour that leaves from Svolvær and goes to GimsøyaYou can take the best photos along the way. Another option is the Eliassen Rorbuer huts in Hamnøy.