Lofoten is a group of islands in the northern part of Norway. With its postcard-looking small fishing villages nestled in fjords dotting a very rugged coast with abrupt peaks rising directly from the ocean, the archipelago is often described as one of the most scenic parts of Norway.
At 68°N, the Lofoten archipelago is well above the Arctic Circle, and at the same latitude as Greenland or the northern parts of Alaska. However, it enjoys a relatively mild climate due to the circulation of the Gulf Stream, and temperatures up to 23°C in the summer are not uncommon. Still, it remains a subarctic destination, the weather changes fast, and even in the summer it may get cold. When the sun is not shining a sweater is recommended. The winter is cold, but remains bearable.
The main islands are easily covered by car. The E10 route links Hanøy in the extreme north-east of Austvagøy island and Å at the south-western tip of Moskenesøy through a series of bridges. Although the archipelago may look small on the map, the full crossing is a good 180 km along the E10 on a very windy road, with the usual Norwegian speed limits. However due to the state of the roads, don't expect to average much more than 50 km/h.
The main attraction of the archipelago is its majestic scenery. The coastline is dominated by high mountains cut by fjords, as well as sandy white beaches. Apart from the scenery, the fishing history of the archipelago is visible in several little villages all around the coast. Nusfjord and the lovely Å are prime examples. The Lofoten has many traditional fishermen red cabins built on the sea shore or over stilts (the rorbu), and it is even possible to stay in one. In the summer, you can enjoy the midnight sun. In Leknes, the sun remains above the horizon from May 26 to July 17.
Activities include whale watching, mountain climbing, mountain hiking, diving, fishing, and sleeping in traditional fisherman cabins called "rorbu". 1 Reinebringen (at the West of Reine). A trip to Reine is not complete without a climb to Reinebringen. Be aware that the path is not easy though, and very steep most of the way. Even worse, it was very much damaged after heavy rains in 2015, and the climb is now fairly dangerous (a warning has been issued at the beginning of the path). Count about 2 hr (one way) considering the current state of the path. Of course, once on top (almost 400 m above sea level), the view is really amazing. Free.
Lofoten being a traditional cod fishing area, local delicacies are as one would expect taken from the sea. If you appreciate dried stockfish or cod, you will probably love the food. The stockfish of Lofoten is a prime source of revenue for the islands, it is exported to several southern European countries (especially Italy and Spain) where it is known as Baccalao or Stoccafisso. Several restaurants in Lofoten have Baccalao on the menu. Due to the limited choice and the high prices, particularly on Værøy, you should bring your own food. 1 Blomster bringen. Nice café located just near the harbour of Reine. Good pastries and relatively cheap coffee and tea. Free Wi-Fi.
Cafe & Bar Nicolina (Kabelvåg). Cozy Italian café and bar with coffee and homemade food, along with wine, beer, and drinks. (updated Aug 2018) 1 Kringla Bakeri & Konditori (Svolvær). Coffee, tea and pastries. (updated Aug 2015) Magic Ice, Svolvær (quayside in Svolvær). June 15 - August 25: from 12.00 to 23.00, August 26 - June 14: from 18.00 to 22.00. A bar in an old fish-freezing plant that features ice sculptures. Adult 95 kr. (updated Aug 2018)
Lofoten has little crime and island hopping by hitch-hiking is safe and not unusual. The most likely undesired event is to fall while hiking, or to catch a cold due to the bad weather. Other than that, you should be perfectly safe.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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