The Lofoten Islands are some miraculous pieces of nature. Hiking in these lands of wonder is spectacular … and really challenging. During my stay on the Lofoten Islands I did the Djevelporten, Festvågtind and Ryten hikes. All of them will take your breath away. On the one hand because the views are just that great, on the other because they are that demanding.
If you’re an experienced hiker, the Lofoten Islands will be paradise on earth for you. But even if you don’t strap on your hiking boots regularly, it’s still possible to enjoy the mountainous beauty the Lofoten have to offer. The hikes here may be more challenging than you’re used to in other areas around the world, but if you come prepared, with the right equipment and are in decent shape these trails are definitely doable.
The three hikes I went on:
- The Djevelporten hike, which was the most difficult and the most unclear to find the right path.
- The Festvågtind hike, which I didn’t completely finish but that luckily offered some wonderful views on the way up already.
- The Ryten hike, which was the longest, but easiest hike and definitely my favourite. If you only do one hike on the Lofoten, make it this one.
The Djevelporten hike
The hike to Djevelporten (devil’s gate) starts in the town of Svolvær. Many people also summit Mount Fløya when they’re doing this hike, but we didn’t as we read this last part is for experienced hikers only, which we aren’t, and we had another hike planned on the same day, which was quite ambitious in hindsight.
Even if you don’t make it all the way to the top of Fløya, the views over Svolvær and surroundings are still mesmerizing. And while the path up to Djevelporten is said to be less difficult than the way to go up Fløya, it certainly was enough of a challenge for me. Some online sources say Djevelporten is a ‘medium’ or ‘moderate’ hike, but in my opinion it was rather difficult.
The Djevelporten hike is about 4 kilometres long and the elevation is about 600 metres. In total this hike will take you about 3 to 4 hours.
The first part of the trail takes you through trees over a really steep trail. Be prepared to use both your hands and feet to climb over the rocks on the road. At one point, you’ll even have to use a chain to pull yourself up and over an extremely straight boulder. While this first part isn’t easy, it definitely is fun.
Once you’re out of the woods (literally, that is) you’ll find yourself on the side of a green mountain covered in rocks. From here on out you’ll find yourself looking down on Svolvær in awe from time to time. This part of the path flattens out here and there, but once again you’ll need all your limbs to continue sometimes.
The higher you go, the more boulders you’ll find on your way. At times, you’ll have to find the best way to go yourself while climbing over a rocky part of the mountain. This is difficult and scary at times, as you’ll find yourself close to the edge now and then. Make sure to be careful on where you put your feet at every moment.
Ultimately you arrive at the Djevelporten, which is a rock wedged between the mountain walls above an abyss. Some people climb on it to take pictures, but I would advise against this, as you need to take quite some risks in order to get on the rock. For instance, you have to walk on some loose dirt that slopes down towards the edge in order to be able to get on the Devil’s gate. Don’t worry about taking great pictures, though. During the hike, you’ll find other great photo opportunities that aren’t as dangerous to pose on.
If you’re not summiting Fløya, make sure to take the right path for your descent, because I believe we didn’t. We didn’t end at the same point where we started, which should have been the case. The trail was very steep, slippery and quite overgrown, which made it look as if hardly ever anyone used it. The sliding down and the clutching to trees in order not to fall (which did happen several times) was funny at first, but after a while it got frustrating. Make sure you’re better prepared than we were if you choose to do this hike!
If someone would’ve told me beforehand just how steep the Djevelporten trail is and how much clambering over rocks I would have to do, I would’ve never believed I could make it to the top (but I did, and I’m proud of it).
This hike is definitely difficult, but if you’re in for a challenge and in good shape, it sure is doable. You might want to skip this hike if you have a fear of heights though, as the rock clambering brings you close to the edge sometimes. Anyhow, be really careful at all times when climbing over the boulders!
The Festvågtind hike
The Festvågtind hike starts just out of Henningsvær. There’s a paid parking lot near the start of the trail. The hike is about 3 kilometres long and covers about 500 metres in altitude. You need 2 to 3 hours to complete the hike.
As we went to Festvågtind after we had already climbed to Djevelporten earlier in the day and the top was covered in clouds, we didn’t go all the way up. But even if you don’t summit, you get great views over Henningsvær and the small dots of land surrounding it.
Online the hike is often called ‘moderate’, but I felt it was more difficult than what a moderate hike should be. The first part of the hike has you climbing over huge boulders, which is a lot of fun. A little higher up the big rocks disappear mostly, and you’ll be hiking on a steep gravel path with smaller rocks sticking out of it.
After this part you arrive at a small mountain lake, Heiavatnet, which is the perfect place to catch your breath. The trail continues to the left of the lake and this was where the most difficult part of the hike started for me. Here again, you have to clamber through a field of boulders using both hands and feet. It’s a steep part and the trail isn’t really clear, so you have to look where you go yourself. Make sure to be careful, as some rocks may look steady but are actually laying loose.
As it was already early in the evening at this point and the fog around the summit didn’t clear, we decided to head back. We did make a little detour, though, by going to the other side of the lake we passed on our way up. Here you’ll find the Heiavatnet viewpoint, that offers some splendid sea views. It’s definitely worth the extra steps!
The way back is easy to find here, as you simply have to retrace your steps. Be careful on the way down, though. The gravel path just past the lake can be quite slippery (I learned that the hard way). In addition, the huge boulders at the very end (start) of the hike felt easier to climb up than down.
The Festvågtind hike may be a little less hard than the one to Djevelporten, but it’s still quite the challenge if you’re not used to this type of hikes. However, if you’re in good shape and careful it’s doable.
EXTRA TIP: As hiking on the Lofoten Islands is definitely no picnic and the hikes might be more demanding than you’d expect, I would recommend to only do one hike a day. We did Djevelporten and Festvågtind on the same day. While this can be done if you are in good shape and if you get an early start, I would handle it differently now. If you’re not used to hiking uphill and don’t want to completely exhaust yourself, one hike will definitely satisfy your lust for climbing. You can easily fill the rest of the day by exploring the lovely towns and lower-located natural beauty of the islands.
The Ryten hike
Against all of my expectations, the Ryten hike was my favourite one on the Lofoten. When we started, I wasn’t too happy about hiking uphill yet again. My legs were really sore from hiking Djevelporten and Festvågtind the day before, I managed to sit in what seemed to be the only wet patch of grass right before we went off and there was an ice cold wind cutting off my breath with every step I took. But my oh my, was it worth it! I forgot every muscle ache and gust of wind once I laid eyes upon gorgeous Kvalvika Beach.
The Ryten hike is 8,7 kilometres long and makes you climb 680 metres. You need 3 to 5 hours to complete this hike. There are several parking lots in close proximity to the start of the hike. They are often located on private property and the owners might ask you to put some money in a letter box.
The Ryten hike is mostly famous because of the great views you have on Kvalvika Beach from the top. If you feel up to it and aren’t tired of hiking up and down yet, you can also take an alternative route that first takes you all the way down to the beach itself and then up the mountain.
Although Ryten was our longest hike, it was definitely the easiest one. Because of its length, you don’t climb as fast as on the other two hikes, which makes it easier to tackle the altitude. You can also simply hike the whole trail. There’s no need to start climbing using all fours (apart from one short rocky section). The path goes through lush mountain meadows and over partly muddy trails that are sometimes covered with wooden planks. You hike the same way down as up.
At the top of Ryten is a great photo spot, with rocks that jut out a little. The part of the rocks closest to where you stand, hangs just above the ground, but if you frame it right it seems as if there’s nothing underneath but the sea. Be careful though, as the end of the cliff is really close and the ground below slopes down. Make sure to watch your steps too, as the further part of the rocks has no ground below it anymore.
Despite its length, this was the easiest hike we did on the Lofoten. Don’t take it too lightly though, as you’re still mostly hiking uphill over quite some distance and the winds can be very sharp here. This is where I truly felt we were above the Pole Circle.
Hiking on the Lofoten
Hiking on the Lofoten Islands was a whole new experience for me, with the trails from the Djevelporten and Festvågtind hikes being completely different from and way more challenging than anything I had ever done before. If you go hiking on the Lofoten take these things into account:
- The hikes may be more difficult than you’d expect them to be, based on the difficulty scales you find online.
- Make sure to bring enough water and food, as you will be sweating (whatever the weather) and burning calories fast.
- Wear decent hiking shoes and bring tons of layers, that can protect you from wind and rain. The weather on the Lofoten can change quickly and can be different higher up than down below.
- Check the complete hike in advance and make sure you know where you need to go by looking up GPS coordinates or uploading the map of the hike to your phone beforehand.
- Take into account that you can only do these hikes described safely at the height of summer. And even then you shouldn’t start if the weather is really bad.
While hiking on the Lofoten is quite the challenge, the views and the joy you feel when you complete a hike are so rewarding!
Want to know more about hiking in Norway? Read about my experience hiking Trolltunga.
Craving more Scandinavian adventure? Consider kayaking on the Hardangerfjord, one of my favourite experiences ever.
Fancy a road trip through Norway? Discover the 12-day itinerary around the country’s highlights I did.
Looking for a city break in this Nordic land? Check out my lists of higlights in Oslo and things to see and do in Bergen.
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