THE HYPE IS REAL: Lofoten Islands, Norway
Lofoten Islands, Norway - The Lofoten islands off the northern coast of Norway, are home to some of the most beautiful and rugged stretches of landscape I’ve ever seen.
Our journey to Lofoten actually started in the city of Bodø, where we spent the day exploring the city and the saltstraumen maelstrom before catching the ferry from Bodo to Lofoten (Moskenes).
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The saltstraumen is one of the best things to do in Bodo, as it is a small strait that connects the sea and a fjord with one of the strongest tidal currents in the world.
This wild whirlpool of boils and vortex’s happens when tides change and water funnels through the strait.
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From our basecamp in Sorvagen, we have two days to explore the best things to do in Lofoten, on the southern islands, before needing to report to the capital city of Svolvaer for a dream event.
Our first stop is on the southern end of Moskenes Island at little fishing village called Å - Once a town that specialized in stockfish, it’s main income now is tourism, although, there isn’t many people around this time of year - which is actually one of the big reasons why we came in March.
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Next up, its the oldest and perhaps most picturesque fishing village in the Lofoten Archipelago - Hamnøy
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And just a few minutes back down the E10, is Reine. The 69-acre village is the administrative center of Moskenes Municipality, has a population of 314 people, and it’s major lifeline is very easy to see - and smell.
Cod or Skrei, is known as the Norwegian Miracle.
Skrei comes from one of the world’s largest and most sustainably managed cod stocks.
Although it doesn’t seem like it here, only 10% of over 400 million migrating cod are caught and branded skrei.
All over the Lufoten islands between February and May, you’ll see an endless supply of drying cod on these giant wooden racks.
They’re left out here for about three months, before being brought inside to mature for up to another 12 months.
Stockfish is the countries longest sustained export commodity, going all the way back to the viking days.
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We also stopped at Anita's for her classic fish burger and finished the day at Ramberg beach (Rambergstranda).
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WHERE WE STAYED in Lofoten (Moskenes) ►
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Bodø Tourist Attractions: 15 Top Places to Visit
Planning to visit Bodø? Check out our Bodø Travel Guide video and see top most Tourist Attractions in Bodø.
Top Places to visit in Bodø (Norway):
Norwegian Aviation Museum, Mjelle, Saltstraumen, Mount Ronvik, Bodø Cathedral, Stormen Library, Nordland Museum, Glasshuset Shopping Mall, Bodin Church, The Crofter’s Cottage in Kjelvik, Bremnes Fortress, Urtehagen pa Tofte, Turisthytta Bodo, Valnesfossen, Ronvik Church
For more information, Visit:
Norway | Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Norway
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Norway | Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Norway
Norway Destinations
Oslo
Norway's capital with museums & parks
Bergen
Bryggen wharf & gateway to the fjords
Tromsø
Arctic Cathedral & Northern Lights
Lofoten
Svolværgeita peak & Lofotr Viking Museum
Flåm
Aurlandsfjord & Flåm Railway views
Stavanger
Stavanger Cathedral & Petroleum Museum
Geiranger
Norwegian Fjord Center & waterfalls
Geirangerfjord
Waterfall, hiking, kayaking, glacier, and mountain
Lysefjord
Hiking, kayaking, waterfall, cliff, and mountain
Sognefjord
Glaciers, hiking, kayaking, and waterfalls
Trondheim
Trondheim Fjord & Nidaros Cathedral
Ålesund
Art nouveau buildsings & Mount Aksla
Kristiansand
Posebyen old town & Sørlandets Museum
Hardangerfjord
Glaciers, waterfalls, hiking, kayaking, and cycling
Voss
Skiing, rafting, parachuting, ski resorts, and paragliding
Reine
Hiking, fishing, kayaking, aurora, and mountains
Nærøyfjord
Kayaking, hiking, and waterfall
Bodø
Aurora, white-tailed eagle, cycling, glaciers, and hiking
Svolvær
Aurora, whale-watching, fishing, hiking, and climbing
Lillehammer
Norwegian Olympic Museum & ski-jump hill
Gudvangen
Caves, hiking, kayaking, and waterfalls
Narvik
Aurora, skiing, museums, backcountry skiing, and alpine skiing
Myrdal
Hiking and waterfalls
Eidfjord
Camping, waterfalls, hiking, kayaking, and glaciers
Oslofjord
Lighthouses, fishing, and sailing
Åndalsnes
Camping, hiking, mountains, and climbing
Aurland
Hiking, camping, and waterfalls
Odda
Glaciers, camping, waterfalls, hiking, and outdoor recreation
Geilo
Hallingskarvet National Park & skiing
Stryn
Glaciers, hiking, skiing, ski resorts, and camping
Hellesylt
Waterfalls, hiking, and glaciers
Kirkenes
Northern Lights & Borderland Museum
Honningsvåg
Aurora, fishing, churches, reindeer, and harbors
Finse
Glaciers, star wars, hiking, skiing, and ski resorts
Rondane National Park
National park & wild reindeer habitat
Å
Fishing, aurora, museums, and hiking
Senja
Aurora, hiking, fishing, whale-watching, and skiing
Molde
Jazz, hiking, cathedrals, and museums
Haugesund
Town hall and museums
Kristiansund
Churches, opera, atlantic cod, and architecture
Forsand
Camping, cliffs, and hiking
Stranda
Ski resorts, skiing, backcountry skiing, alpine skiing, and trail running
Olden, Norway
Glaciers, camping, hiking, and lakes
Sogndal
Glaciers, hiking, skiing, and ski resorts
Balestrand
Glaciers, hiking, aquariums, churches, and outdoor recreation
Moskenes
Camping, hiking, fishing, aurora, and outdoor recreation
Lysebotn
Camping, base jumping, and hiking
Trysil
Skiing, winter sports, ski resorts, alpine skiing, and snowboarding
Kvalvika hike, Lofoten, Norway INFO
Planning to go to Lofoten, Norway, and do some hiking? We went there in July 2017.
One of the most popular day hikes and wild camping sites in Lofoten Islands in Norway is route Kvalvika beach in the island of Moskenes, about 100 kilometers from the main city Svoelvaer.
The official starting point with a free parking place is located next to the paved public road. If parking is full don’t leave your car alongside the road since you might get a parking ticket from the wrong parking!
The beginning of the path is well marked with a sign. However, there are signs for other optional starting points as well, but they require paid parking since they are on the private land.
The distance from the free parking area to the beach is about 2 kilometers and the path is well marked and we’ll used, so there’s not really need for a map or a risk of getting lost on the way.
Terrain is quite rocky and at times it might be wet, so the path is best walked with good hiking shoes.
Like in so many other hiking routes in Norway, there’s s no shortage of magnificent scenery!
The short distance from the road makes Kvalvika beach very popular wild camping sites. There’s no official facilities like toilets or running water, but on the other hand, it is also free of charge.
Kvalvika beach is actually made up of two separate beaches, the northern and the western beach. During the low tide these two beaches join together, but during the high tide the only way is to use the path crossing the hill between the two beaches.
The western beach has also some nice camp sites to pitch a tent. However, this beach was quite dirty with many plastics washed down with the sea. There was a sign asking all visitors to take some rubbish along from the beach and to carry them away in order to get it cleaned.
We decided not to return the same way we came, but instead took another route back to the parking area. This made the trip longer, but the scenery made it well worth the effort. (Kartta) This path took us back to the same public road and the last 5 kilometers we walked on the road back to the car. All together our round trip was 12 kilometers.
If you like easy and short distance hike and don’t mind other campers close by, the Kvalvika beach is a good option. We really enjoyed it as a good day trip destination. However, if you are more into wild camping with the campsite a bit harder to reach but where there’s much less people, you should try Horseid beach. We went there for three nights and you can see a video of that hiking trip very soon here in our channel.
(c) Frozen Toes Entertainment 2018