Departure for the Vesteralen Islands
After a hearty breakfast, we set off from Harstad for the Versteralen Islands. Around 3 hours of winding roads await us on these islands, a further 170km to the north. The archipelago is separated from the mainland by an inlet: the Norwegian Sea and covers a total area of 1227 km².
The Vesterålen Islands are a Norwegian archipelago in the county of Nordland, to the north of the Lofoten Islands. The big surprise of these islands is the mild climate. The archipelago is bordered by the Gulf Stream. Summers and winters are particularly mild. Between June and August, maximum temperatures can exceed 25°C, with averages of around 20°C.
That's right, the Vesteralen islands are mountains rising straight out of the seaThis is a landscape of steep, rocky slopes on some sides, dotted with tundra on others and, in places, tiny white sandy beaches.
Because of their geological architecture, the Vestéralen islands are a bird sanctuary, where thousands of different species have been recorded. These include the highly protected white-tailed eagle, or sea eagle, which nests on these islands in the 50% world reserve.
In the 12th century, the Lofoten Islands experienced a major boom with the trade in dried cod, which was sold all over Europe. Fishing boomed from 1860 onwards, when huge shoals of herring came to winter in the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. Fishing from the Lofoten Islands accounted for up to 80 % of Norway's exports. The fishing ports belonged to an owner who rented out the "rorbuer" (a rorbu / rorbuer: fishermen's huts on stilts) to the fishermen.
Cod fishing is still the main activity on the Lofoten Islands. Every winter, many fishermen come from all over northern Norway to catch huge quantities of fish, which are then salted and dried in the open air.
Tourism is also developing strongly, especially in summer. The islands are particularly well-suited to climbing, hiking and "nature sports" in general. The setting The Lofoten Islands regularly feature in various lists of the world's most beautiful islands.. There's also the chance to watch the midnight sun from 27 May to 17 July.
Andenes, the most northerly village on the Versterålen islands, is the ideal starting point for sea safaris. Whales, sperm whales, killer whales and sea eagles are almost guaranteed to be spotted on every trip. (Here's the proof in just 1 outing)
Safari in the Norwegian Sea
It was a busy day on the road, visiting the village and going out to sea. Next stop Kabelvag, the centre of the Lofotens.
I invite you to explore Norway in photos via my online galleries,
David
