Lofoten Islands in pictures …at COVID-19 time

Alexander Popkov·
Lofoten IslandsEuropeNatureNorwayTravelArchitectureArchipelagoIn the Arctic circlePhoto storyTravel photography
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Snowy mountain peaks next to colorful miniature ships, there is no place like Norway. The world knows higher mountains that impress with their sheer size, but they miss the long-lived, fascinating marine culture. Lofoten Islands is an archipelago that has it all, concentrated in quite a small area. It stands out even among other world-famous Norwegian sights.

I have visited Norway in the summer during the COVID-19 pandemic, precisely in mid-august. The sad circumstances did significant damage to the tourist industry. But at the same time, though, it made the trip trouble-free. We didn’t need to book anything in advance, and there was always enough place to stay or to park a car.

In this post, I will show the Lofoten Islands in pictures, at the time when they don’t suffer from over-tourism. I will also share my opinion about traveling Norway during COVID 19. This post can also serve as a Lofoten Islands’ travel itinerary.

Visiting Norway during the pandemic

Norway has had one of the lowest numbers of COVID-19 infections per capita in Europe, and it is not densely populated, with plenty of personal space. In other words, in the context of coronavirus, it is one of the safest places to travel. If you go in a car – you reduce the interaction to a minimum.

Border with Finland

We took our car and made it to the north of Finland. There, we crossed the border and went directly to Lofoten. At the time we were traveling, the border control wasn’t present, but it has changed a few times later.

Finland doesn’t have mountains, except for the border with Norway.

Overall, the number of coronavirus cases is about the same in Finland and Norway, with the last being slightly higher. I think, if there is no significant growth, the boarders are going to remain open. But no one can know for sure…

Traveling without a car

My friends only had a limited amount of time, but I wanted to stay longer. I stayed 2 more days in Lofoten and 2 out of it.

On the busses, drivers are behind a fence. You can no longer buy a ticket from them – you have to use an app or buy it on the website.

The map on the screen shows the number of people infected by coronavirus while people take off.

On the Hurtigruten cruise, it seems they have taken good care of travelers. They check the body temperature as you enter, and they ask you to sign a form, confirming that you don’t have coronavirus symptoms. When you have breakfast, you are assigned the time; you cannot use the buffet – you tell the staff what to put on your plate.

There is a couple of inconveniences. Lofoten islands have to do a lot with mountain hikes. Muscle pain and tiredness are probably unavoidable, and those are the coronavirus symptoms listed in the form. Another thing is the air conditioning. It is over your bet and is set to 20 degrees by default, so I thought I was ok. At night, the wind went right into my face, and it felt super cold. Happily, I felt fine in the morning. In corona-time, even the minor flu symptoms can cause some trouble.

In the airports in Norway, unlike Finland, no one wore masks. But you have to have one when you are inside the plane.

The Lofoten Islands in pictures

Here I will share my images, all in chronological order. It can also serve as an example Lofoten Islands travel itinerary. We traveled through the whole archipelago, but our main target was Å and Reine.

The trip was done in 5 days, but I don’t think an x-days itinerary makes sense. The weather is unpredictable. In my opinion, the main focus should be on Reine and you may need to wait there longer to catch good wetath.

Day 1: The Eastern Lofoten Islands

It was damp, humid weather when we entered the Lofoten Islands
But that is kind of weather makes everything look so dramatic, especially the mountain tops. 
We saw many of these lovely traditional red houses, but there are no people. It almost felt surreal.
It was raining from time to time and we decided to rent a cottage. We stayed at Sandsletta Camping on the northern shore, half way though the archipelago. 

Day 2: Svolvaer – Skagsanden beach

The morning hit us with lovely weather and this happy creature. 
The sky was clear, but many of the mountain tops were still covered in clouds. 

And, we stepped into Svolvaer, one of the largest municipalities on the Islands. You immediately see the row of the red houses, which are typical for Lofoten and are normally given for rent. 

But, there are some modern ones too… I think they break the atmosphere a bit. 

Two major things on Lofoten are the fishing industries and tourism. These wooden structures next to the hotel are for drying fish. They are empty because it isn’t the right season. 

We didn’t stay long and were on our way. The closer we got to the end of Lofoten – the more scenic everything looked.

You meed them many times on the way.

We saw a beach and damn and it looked super inviting. We couldn’t help ourselves and stopped there for a night.

At first, I thought, I a not here to be at the beach, I want to see high mountains, but I have changed my mind.

Day 3: Å through Hamnøy and Reine

And this is it! We are approaching the jewel or our trip. I suddenly started to recognize the places I saw on the postcards. 

Fjords are enormous.

One of the first villages on our way.

These are the only people we saw there. Happily, they agreed for a picture.

This road leads to Reine!

Nature-wise, Reine is probably the most beautiful place on earth! I can think only about one competitor – Geiranger (which is also in Norway!) But we didn’t stay there long, we went forward to Å, the last stop on Lofoten. 

A couple of travelers from Norway in Å.

Å is actually pretty small.

But with a lovely place for a hike.

We made it to the mountain top!

For me, going down was way harder than going up, but for my friend the opposite. For some time, the track was right on top of a small waterfall. I was thinking, how on earth did I pass here. 

When we went down it started to get dark, and since we didn’t book any accommodation – we came back to the same beach camping as before. This is what we saw on the way.

Day 4: Reine and surroundings

Out of everything I saw during the trip, Reine and surroundings were the favorite. I have decided to spend the whole day there.

Sakrisøya village. it is a couple of kilometers away from Reine. Almost all of the houses there are painted yellow. It is also known for this restaurant. There you can buy Lofoten’s specialty – dried fish.
That’s what they have at the entrance.
Lamps made of fish… I think it is a bit too much.
Hamnøy, that’s where I had my Airbnb
Racks for drying fish are all over the place.
Hamnøy feels like a village. Locals told there are no “tourist factories”.
I am again on my way to Reine
It definitely worth taking a walk around the fjord.
I took the famous Reinebringen hike. It is 1400 steps up. The whole way, the view isn’t that special… until you reach the end.
It opens the iconic view onto Reine and surrounding villages.
Mmm, yea. Pictures could have been done better, but I was exhausted.
Reine at sunset. No comments needed…
A common room at my Airbnb… it is time to go.

Day 5: Svolvaer and conclusion of the trip

We were blessed with good weather, but it came to an end. It has been raining most of the time. I decided to spend my last day Svolvaer and then take a ferry to Tromso.

Because of the weather, I decided not to go high up in the mountains and just walk around the city

Would you live in a place like this?

Or on an isolated house on an island?

I love the way they decorate their windows. As it is typical for Norway, many things are related to marine culture.

Overall, if it is your first time in Norway, I would highly recommend taking a similar road trip. It was the first time for my friends, and each day was more exciting than the one before. But if you are like me, who traveled to Norway already, a direct boat to Reine should be the way to go.

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