August 5, 2026 - The Lofoten Peninsula
Last year, when Nico and I first cruised the west coast of Norway, we got as far north as the Svartisen Glacier before heading back to Bergen. We enjoyed sailing and hiking the Helgeland area so much that we didn't push to reach the Lofoten Peninsula. Locals had warned us that it was beautiful, but overrun by tourists. However, once we were home, so many people asked us if we had made it to Lofoten. So our goal was to make it this time around.
Lofoten delivered. It truly is an area of mind-boggling scenery. And yet, I have mixed feelings about it. The mountains are so high and jagged that I had a feeling the land was out to get us. There were no cozy harbors or beaches. The terrain was grey rock and jagged peaks with snow in August. The scale was so grand that we felt quite small and powerless in our little sailboat. I can't even imagine what the place is like in winter, and yet there is a huge winter cod fishery. They still go out in the winter months and dry the fish on wooden racks like the old days. Men have plied these waters in small boats for generations. We felt the power of the ocean as we rolled on North Atlantic swells.
And it has mobs of tourists. There is one road connecting the islands via a series of amazing Norwegian tunnels and bridges. Camper vans traveled down the road like white army ants. The prices were higher than the rest of Norway because tourists were willing to pay. The towns were all trying to make money off the visitors by offering high-speed jet boat tours to seabird islands and down fjords, fishing trips on restored herring boats, and kayak rentals. The locals had the attitude of those who have experienced a long summer of catering to tourists. We got up at 6:00 one morning to get on the trail of a famous hike before the crowds. The day before, we saw a steady line of hikers, like the pictures you see of climbers heading up Everest with a good weather window. It happened to be raining that morning, so we practically had the mountain to ourselves, - and the clouds lifted in time for the views.
The harbor of Reine, our first stop after crossing the forty miles from the mainland.
The view from our cockpit. Pictures do not convey the scale of these cliffs.
There were drying racks for cod all over town. They are still used to dry the fish during the winter fishery.
View from our hike. I must admit that I got this far and had a major case of vertigo. I sat there happily, having a zen moment, while Nico nipped up to the summit.
This is what we were going up. Once again, I'll say that the picture does NOT show how steep it was! At this point, the stone steps, placed by Sherpas, ended, and it was a scramble on wet rocks. Not for me.
Nico's view
Far and Away in Nusfjord. This used to be a fishing port, but now it is owned by a resort. It has a fancy gallery, cafe, restaurants, museums, and they rent the classic red fishing shacks to tourists.
They are built around the boulders.
...and over the harbor.
Some of the buildings were filled with old fishing gear
And one had a whole minke whale skeleton and the whaling gear left over from one family.
Dramatic scenery and clouds, as we sailed to Hopen
The geology was fascinating. You can really understand why they believe in trolls. I saw jagged faces in peak after peak.
Then we went down Trollsfjord, a 3 km fjord that is about 300 feet across. It was insane, and yet one small cruise ship/ferry goes down and somehow manages to turn around.
The moss and bushes seemed to ooze over the rocks.
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