Exciting ways to get away from it all
LOFOTEN ISLANDS, NORWAY
Distance and length: 69km, five days
THE EXPERIENCE Nature unleashes its full force in the Lofoten Islands at 68 degrees north. Hitting all the intrepid notes, this five-day trek tosses you deep into the wilds of the High Arctic. Granite mountains whoosh above cream sand beaches that fizz away into a sea of frosty turquoise and sapphire blues. Given the epic backdrop, the coastal villages you’ll pass seem as tiny as toys, with their red rorbuer (fishermen’s cabins) propped up on stilts.
Starting in Leknes and hopscotching between the islands of Moskenesøya, Flakstadøya and Vestvågøya, this hiking break turns up the drama and adventure. The elements are ever-present as you climb mountains as pointed as witches’ hats, gazing in breathless wonder at the fretwork of islands below. You can wild camp on flour-white beaches and listen to
