Surrounded by majestic peaks and crystal clear turquoise waters, there’s no wonder hiking in Lofoten is so popular. With endless hiking trails to choose from on these beautiful islands in Norway, there are some destinations that shouldn’t be missed. We headed out to capture some amazing beach views from the Ryten Hike.
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HIKING IN LOFOTEN
Of all of the Lofoten Islands, Moskenesøya in the south features some of the most dramatic landscapes of the archipelago, making it the ideal spot to head out on some hikes. The north coast offers some fabulous coastal hiking where you can watch the midnight sun during the summer months, or hope to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis in winter. There are hikes to remote beaches as well as spectacular mountain hikes to suit all abilities, but one thing they have in common are the views. Oh, those incredible Lofoten views.
We took a seven day road trip through the Lofoten Islands in June 2023, during midnight sun season which gave us the opportunity to take in the breathtaking scenery of the islands, and make time for a few hikes. One of the most rewarding of these was the Ryten hike. Ryten is a mountain summit towards the north of Moskenesøya, with an elevation of 543 metres. The hike from any of the main parking spots is technically easy with well signposted hiking trails to the summit, however climbing 543 metres from sea level can be a fair challenge to some.
WHERE TO START THE RYTEN HIKE
The starting point of the Ryten hike is near the village of Fredvang towards to the northern end of Moskenesøya. The journey to Fredvang in itself is incredibly scenic, crossing the fjord over the Fredvang bridges. Rather than turning left into the village, continue along the road where the are two parking options. The first can be found on the left hand side, in a field next to the road. Continuing further, a second car park can be found by turning left at the junction towards Indresand, and carrying on to the end of the road where the car park is located near the Peat Museum. This car park has an honesty box so be sure to have some change, and there is also a WC at this location.
AMAZING VIEWS ALONG THE RYTEN HIKE
There are several stages to the Ryten Hike, along with a number of detours that can be taken to extend the route providing even more magnificent views of the Lofoten Islands. A pathway leads from the rear of the car park, towards a boggy field with an elevated wooden walkway that crosses the damp ground towards the start of the main trail. A slight climb along the edge of the mountain leads to a slightly rockier section which plateau’s at the location of two small lakes. From here, there are fabulous views of distant peaks on Moskenesøya, with a birds eye view of the snaking E10 and its bridges crossing the fjords.
From this location, there is a further climb with some rocky sections where there are cables to assist, leading towards Fredvanghytta – a mountain hut located nearby. Once the pathway levels out, a trail heading right leads to the hut, whereas the trail heading straight ahead continues towards Ryten. There is a gradual climb along this fairly long section of the hike, which crosses a lot of peatland. In the past, this hike could be quite muddy and damp, however with the installation of long sections of elevated wooden walkways, the soggy feet are a mere memory.
Once across the wooden walkways, another lake is located to the left and the first glimpses of the white sands of Kvalvika Beach become evident. A trail alongside the lake provides the opportunity to head down to the beach if time allows, however I was keen to keep climbing, with the summit of Ryten uphead. From this point of the Ryten hike, the climb becomes steeper, with the route of trail becoming less clear. There are a couple of options at this point. Heading left, a trail follows relatively close to the edge of the ridge. While this provides some epic views of the coastline, there are steep and sharp drops so some care needs to be taken. An alternative route heading directly upwards away from the mountain edge, is ideal for hikers who are not so keen on heights.
I followed the ridge route, keeping safely away from the edges due to a brisk wind that had picked up during my hike. Continuing the climb, my gaze was constantly veering to my left, with the Kvalvika Beach views opening up further. A final push took me to Viewpoint Rock, which offered unobstructed views down to the beach below. This rocky outcrop, the scene of many an Instagram photo, is something of a mini Trolltunga, seemingly jutting out with sheer drop to the sea hundreds of feet below. In reality there is a ledge below, meaning it’s not quite as dangerous as it looks, however with a gusty wind across the mountain, there were some tense moments watching people at the edge having their photos taken.
FABULOUS BEACH VIEWS FROM THE SUMMIT
Arriving at the summit, marked by a cairn, the Ryten hike provides some of the most jaw dropping views in the Lofoten Islands. 543 metres below, the foaming waves of the clear blue Norwegian Sea cascade onto the white sands of Kvalvika Beach, under the backdrop of two jagged mountain peaks. It is spectacular. I stood at the viewpoint for about twenty minutes taking in these incredible landscapes, with a sense of wonder. Seeing the scenery of the Lofoten Islands in photographs made me desperate to visit, but the sheer sense of scale of witnessing these views with my own eyes was something else. Absolutely incredible.
THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPES OF MOSKENESØYA
Tearing myself away from the fabulous views from the pinnacle of the Ryten hike, it was time to head back down to the car. The hike back down was significantly quicker, but gave me a completely different Lofoten Island views, looking north east. Heading back down towards the Indresand car park, the northern peaks of Moskenesøya were directly ahead, along with the nearby pointed peak of Volandstind across the fjord. With the changeable weather in the Lofoten Islands, I knew I couldn’t guarantee a clear and dry day despite the fabulous morning weather. Thankfully, the weather held out although while heading back down the mountain, the clouds began to roll in creating atmospheric scenes.
Reaching lower lying land, before the find stretch back down to the car park, provided a great viewpoint of the nearby Sandbotnen bay and the small offshore island of Sandøya. Arriving back at the car, it was time to move on to further adventures on the Lofoten Islands during our one week stay. Heading away from Fredvang, there was one last opportunity to stop off at a rest area before crossing the Fredvang bridges, where even the picnic areas have that beautiful Lofoten charm.
HOW TO GET TO THE LOFOTEN ISLANDS FROM THE UK
There are a number of options of how to get to the Lofoten Islands from the UK, including by plane or by ferry, with a number of ports and airports dotted around the islands. With no direct flights to the Lofoten Islands from UK airports, finding an option with connecting flights (in Oslo) on the same day, in both directions was a little challenging. This resulted in booking outbound and return flights with different airlines. We flew outbound with SAS from Manchester Airport, and returned with Norwegian including same day connections and good flight times. We flew into Harstad Narvik airport in Evenes, located to very eastern end of the Lofoten Islands and just across onto the mainland. With direct access from the airport to the E10 road, it was ideal.
The best way to get around the Lofoten Islands is by car. With a number of car hire options available at Harstad Narvik airport, pick up from SixT was a quick and easy process. From the airport, to the village of Å is 295km and takes about four and a half hours without stopping. We split of our trip south across two days and worked our way back through the islands for the remainder of the week. Ferries are also an option, when visiting the Lofoten Islands. The islands are a popular stopping point for cruise ships sailing the Norwegian coast, and there are a number of ports throughout Lofoten which see the daily stops of the Hurtigruten cruise ships on the Original Coastal Express route.
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