Lofoten islands February March 2016

This is just a small collection of information I thought might be good to know when we start planning a trip to the Lofoten Islands. In contrast to the trip Steve, Julie and I did last year, the Lofoten Islands will be a much more "compact" road trip. We have been talking about getting the show on the road some time during the latter part of February and March 2016. It is a popular destination during the winter season, so we may need to fix some dates soon and start working on deciding where to go and finding accommodation. 

Travel information and link to Visit Norway

You will find a lot of information on this web page by Visit Norway. It may not be complete, but will give you some ideas about where to go and where to stay.

There are several airports in the Lofoten Island, but the best option is probably to go to Evenes, EVE, which is a fairly large airport albeit not part of Lofoten according to the locals. The other airports in the Lofoten Islands are smaller, hence accommodate smaller aircraft which may impose restrictions on size and amount of luggage. I guess the selection of rental cars may be better at Evenes, so this will be my preferred airport for going to Lofoten.

UPDATE Sep 27: There is another option, and that is to fly to Bodø, BDO, which is perhaps even more convenient than Evenes. The we can rent the car there and take the car ferry to Moskenes, and work our way back to Svolvær. And then we can take Hurtigruten back to Bodø from Svolvær. The car ferry to Moskenes from Bodø takes about four hours. Hurtigruten back from Svolvær will take a bit longer as it stops for a few hours at one or two ports before going to Bodø. But you get to see Lofoten from the seaside.

UPDATE Sep 27: I spent last week in Lofoten, and it was very quiet. Tourist, like myself, were few and far between. This ment that a lot of shops, cafés and restaurants where closed for the season. Events like whale watching and tours to Trollfjorden (an important fishing ground a hundred years ago and the scene of a large battle between fishermen over quotas and fishing methods back in 1890, and also a stunning location the Hurtigruten will visit during the summer season) where closed for the season. On the other hand as we get to February and March the fishing season will be at its most hectic, and a lot of skiers will be there for the off-piste downhill opportunities. More people, more activity.

Alternative route (added Sep 27)

A friend of mine gave me a suggestion we could consider. Start in Bodø, take the car ferry to Moskenes, Travel up through Lofoten to Svolvær and from there over to Vesterålen (north side of the Lofoten Islands) and take Hurtigruten back to Bodø from Sortland. This way we get the chance to see parts of Lofoten from the sea and perhaps also the fjord Trollfjorden. Vesterålen is also quite spectacular. Just a suggestion.

Getting around (added Sep 27)

The main road, the E10 which runs all the way out to Å, is fine for the most part and should be ok even in winter conditions. Side roads should be fine too, but could be closed for shorter or longer periods during heavy snow falls. Some experience in driving on icy roads is recommended, but if you have been to Iceland during the winter months you know the drill.

Accommodation (added Sep 27)

Going to Lofoten one should consider staying at a "rorbu", or fisherman's cabins. Anything from the most basic to the most luxurious are available, and from two to six people can stay at a fisherman's cabin. Reine probably tops the list of photographs of fisheman's cabins in dramatic scenery. Some of the fisherman's cabins have a stove so you can prepare your own food. There is also a good selection of hotels in Svolvær, where I stayed at Thon Hotel Lofoten last week (20th to 25th Sep). Please see www.lofoten.no for more information.

Waterfalls? (added Sep 27)

Sorry Kvein, not really. The mountains in Lofoten are steep on all sides and there are no plateaus where water can form lakes or ponds to store water and feed streams and waterfalls. You may see some streams and smaller waterfalls while snow is melting in the spring, but that is about it.

People who do tours and workshops in the area

Steve has given me a few pointers to people he knows (there was one more link, but that seems to be a dead end now)

And here are a few I have come across via Instagram

Weather in February and March

The southern most tip of the Lofoten Island is just north of the arctic circle, and facing the North Atlantic. So this time of year we can expect anything from calm cold weather with clear skies to gale force winds and complete whiteout to rain and icy roads. It will be a mix and about the same as you would expect in Iceland this time of year.

Length of the days and chances of seeing the aurora

Being this far north, the length of the day will change quite a lot during the 5 to 6 week from mid February to the end of March. The spring equinox is 20th of March and on this date night and day are the same length. So if you want to see the aurora, the firs part of the time period would probably be the best option. Keep in mind that this far north the duration of the twilight will also increase as the day length increases. 

Sunrise and Sunset plus day length

This chart gives you an idea of how the length of the day changes during February and March in Bodø, which is just south of the arctic circle on the mainland to the east of the Lofoten Islands.