The Lofoten and the Vesterålen Islands are two archipelagos in Northern Norway, north of the Arctic Circle. We found the slogan ‘Arctic meets Tropics’ or ‘Arctic meets the Caribbean’ here and there. And what’s it about? Quite probably the many beautiful beaches with powdery white sand and turquoise water. Who would expect this so far north?
The Northerners like to mention the ‘tropic’ conditions on beautiful days (which meant sunshine and 16-18°C). Well…but when the sun was shining, it was really lovely and we could leave our jackets in the car.
Posts are in the making (and of course the film), but before we want to show you our most beautiful pictures.
To our great delight, we were able to repeat our Iceland experience: we’re talking about our beloved Northern Lights. And as if this wasn’t enough, our whale watching trip was a great success, too (we once tried to see them in South Africa but weren’t so lucky).
Northern Lights
We saw the amazing Northern Lights in three out of seven nights. We are really lucky dogs, sometimes, because in one of the nights we witnessed the effects of one of the heaviest solar storms for years. Yeah – turn green with envy!
Southern Lofoten Islands
The mountains are the highest and steepest ones on the islands, dropping straight into the sea. The villages look like in the Hurtigruten leaflets. And the Germans in their Instagram perfect Volkswagen Campers feel like the ‘special snowflakes’ they are. Everything was just too perfect here.
Middle Lofoten Islands
A bit less spectacular, but not less beautiful. The landscape is smoother than in the south, but it’s more idyllic and quiet. There are amazing beaches and lovely villages with those red houses straight out of the leaflets. And, not to forget, there’s Offersøykammen here with its stunning views.
The Vesterålen Islands, including Whale Watching
The Vesterålen Islands are less well-known and less touristy than the Lofoten Islands. We were pleasantly surprised. We admired the best Northern Lights here and a whale watching trip where we spotted four sperm whales and many dolphins. In hindsight, we should have spent more time here. Well, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
Oslo
On our outbound flight, we spent a couple of hours in Oslo. Having such great weather is perfect for a stopover, of course. You’ll find more details in the relevant post to come.
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