IF YOU love island holidays, but don’t love the crowds, then you can visit a group of little-known islands in Norway’s Arctic Circle.
Located in the Norwegian Sea, the Lofoten Islands are an archipelago consisting of roughly 80 islands.
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The five main islands include Austvågøya, Gimsøya, Vestvågøya, Flakstadøya, and Moskenesøya.
Roughly 24,500 people live across the Norwegian islands.
While you may not have heard of the islands, you’ll be familiar with how they look thanks to a few blockbuster films.
Scenes from sci-fi dramedy, Downsizing, starring Matt Damon, were filmed in the Lofoten Islands.
The archipelago’s frozen landscapes, small but colourful fishing villages, and craggy mountains are said to have inspired settings in the 2013 hit film Frozen.
While the Lofoten Islands inspired the outskirts of fictional Arendelle, the best time to visit the Norwegian Islands is the summer time.
This is because from mid-May to the end of July, the sun doesn’t set over the Lofoten Islands.
It’s called Midnight Sun, when the sun doesn’t drop below the horizon.
Despite being located in Arctic Circle, the Lofoten Islands are home to some of the country’s best beaches.
The archipelago has a milder climate than expected thanks to the Gulf Stream, which brings warmer waters and prevents the sea around the archipelago from completely freezing.
It’s this warmer climate that gives the Lofoten Islands some of the country’s best beaches.
One of those beaches is Unstad Beach, which surfers praise for its high waves and strong winds.
The Lofoten Islands are also home to the world’s longest Viking longhouse.
It was found in the small village of Borg, near Bøstad, and has since been reconstructed and placed inside the Lofotr Viking Museum.
If Midnight Sun isn’t your thing, the Lofoten Islands are also a good spot to see the Northern Lights.
For the best chance to spot the aurora borealis, visit the islands from late autumn to early spring.
Because of their location in Northern Norway, getting to the Lofoten Islands can be a bit tricky.
Brit holidaymakers will need to fly from the UK to Bodø, which will often require changing services in Oslo.
From Bodø Airport direct flights operate to two domestic airports called Svolvær and Leknes.
What is it like to visit Bodø and the Lofoten Islands?
THE Sun’s Julia Atherley visited the Norwegian Arctic Circle back in 2023, here’s what she thought…
For thousands of years, Norwegian fishermen would stop in Bodø on journeys to the Lofoten Islands, known for their fisheries which provided cod to most of Europe.
Now the town, a former NATO air station, has a bustling collection of high-end restaurants, bars and hotels, including the Radisson Blu, which was our base for the next few days.
The fjord here, which is lit up at all hours of the day during the summer months, is captivating and at the centre of all aspects of life in Bodø.
The best way to see it — when you’re not jumping in it — is by boat which can take you to the Saltstraumen strait.
It has one of the strongest tidal currents in the world and every six hours up to 400million cubic metres of sea water forces its way through a 150-metres-wide strait in the fjord, creating a natural spectacle that’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
The current can gain speeds of up to 20 knots, or 23mph, which can create whirlpools up to ten metres in diameter.
Our RIB boat takes us right on to the currents, where our guide, Esten, cuts the engine off so we can feel the full force of the water.
As we sail through the Salten fjord, Esten spots a sea eagle swooping down in the distance.
This is Northern Europe’s largest bird of prey and its wingspan can reach up to 2.4 metres.
He throws fish into the water near our boat and one of the huge birds swoops down to scoop them up just metres from where we are.
It turns out it’s not just the birds that love the fish and this water, though.
Everyone I spoke to in Bodø has an affinity with the water of the fjord.
The local speciality meal is stockfish, made with cod and using a method which dates back to the times of the Vikings.
From February to May, the fish are hung by the sea using huge wooden stocks and exposed to the elements above the Arctic Circle.
With temperatures around freezing and just the right balance of wind, sun and rain, the climate is ideal for drying the fish, which results in a delicious flavour.
We sampled it at Bryggerikaia restaurant, on the harbour.
Almost everything I eat in Bodø is local, unsurprisingly.
Why would they travel elsewhere for fresh ingredients when there is a huge fjord full of delicious fish on their doorstep?
And the berries grown here are excellent too, with a super-sweet flavour thanks to the long hours of sunshine they get.
Meanwhile, here’s a ‘Floating forest’ island with 300 days of sunshine each that barely any English tourists visit.
Earlier this year, the Sun’s Ryan Gray visited Tromso – European city where you can see orcas in the wild.
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