A Journey to the Lofoten Islands: The Island of Flakstadøya

EuropeNordicScandinaviaNorwayLofoten
Written By Christopher Kane

Nusfjord, Lofoten, Norway (ISO 100, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/160 s)

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**This post is the 3rd of a 5-post series discussing what to see in this part of the Lofoten Islands (You can check out the other parts below, separated by each specific island: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5. Everything is also summarized in another post here.**

The Lofoten Islands are arguably one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world. It is located in Northern Norway (Nordland County), within the Arctic circle tucked between the 68th and 69th northern parallels. I picked up a camper van with Arctic Campers in Tromsø, Norway (Blog Post: A Guide to Exploring Tromsø, Norway’s Northernmost City in the Arctic Circle) and had started the road trip towards Lofoten (about 4-5 hour drive).

The definition of which islands constitute Lofoten are always up for debate but for the purposes of this blog post series, I will cover 5 of the islands and reference some others. From North to South, they are composed of:

In this blog post, I will cover the island of Flakstadøya. A Google Map of these places I will talk about can be seen at the end of this article. Check out my drone video of Nusfjord in the Lofoten Islands below!

Vikten was a place that we went to multiple times during our trip. The village itself is on the east part of Flakstadøya and a part of the Lofoten National Tourist Route. Its a small community of people that live here, right on the idyllic coastline. I think we even saw a few seals while walking along the beach.

The attraction that lured us here was the Glashytta Kafé. As the name would suggest, it’s a glass blowing cafe with a live demonstration during the opening hours. You get a front row seat to a nice map, just going about his business, making gorgeous glass creations. It was mesmerizing. Even better is that the cafe has an upstairs area where you can peer out large windows at the sea, or look down at the glass blower doing his work.

Nusfjord was a village I didn’t know about until my girlfriend guided us here on our trip! I’m so glad she did. Nusfjord is a small fishing village on the south shore of Flakstadøya. There are a number of rorbu cabins here, many of them red, some are yellow that are spread across the landscape. The town is perfectly intertwined with nature and around every corner was a photographic opportunity. Be cognizant of what you take photos of though, after all these are peoples’ homes.

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Due to its harbor position, it provides good protection against bad weather from the Lofoten Sea. I would recommend staying a night in this area if you have the time as its a great place to wind down after a long day of driving.

Flakstad Church is located in the village of Flakstad (obviously). The church was built in a cruciform style in 1780. For me, I really liked its red color and the surrounding grounds.

Hustinden has to be one of Lofoten’s most photographed mountains. It is situated in the background of Skagsanden beach. It’s not as popular of a hike, which means you can enjoy the views in solitude. The route is quite steep and narrow however, so expect to be quite exposed to the elements when traversing upwards. Once you reach the top, you’ll arrive at a plateau that you can wander around, getting every vantage point from the peak.

Nusfjord, Lofoten, Norway (ISO 100, 4.5 mm, f/2.8, 1/160 s)

Skagsanden Beach is the beach below Hustinden. It’s one of the less known beaches but just as gorgeous with its golden sand and open vistas. It’s also a great place to watch the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) if you time it just right.

Volandstind mountain is a hike that is well marked and an easy trail to hike. As you get near the top, you will experience some rocky portions but nothing that you can’t manage. The trail to the top begins at Skjelford, accessible from the E10.

Nubben, not too far away from Volandstind, is situated in Ramberg village. It’s only a few hundred meters to the summit, but gives you amazing panoramic views of the nearby surroundings like Ramberg Beach and the coastline. The trail can be steep in sections but overall easily manageable. Look for the Bunnpris supermarket in Ramberg for parking.

Moltind hike starts with the hike to Nubben actually, but goes a bit further on a lesser defined trail which isn’t always visible. You will have to scramble up the rocky landscape in parts but the route is not super steep. This trail brings you up the Northern ridge of Moltind.

Those are the main things that I have personally seen in Flakstadøya during our Lofoten road trip, but I am sure there is plenty more to see! We drove further South after this to the island of Moskenesøya, which I will summarized in a future post.

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Christopher Kane http://www.ecksplorer.com
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