If you’ve seen pictures of the Lofoten then there’s no question in my mind that you have also seen the Kvalvika Beach hike and thought:
“There’s no way that’s in the arctic circle?”
Yeah, it is. And in person, it’s even better.
What’s crazy is this is just one of a handful of beaches in Northern Norway that are absolutely incredible. But this one has to be the most special because of its remoteness to it, and because of the fascinating story behind “North of the Sun.”
This is the best of both words in terms of adventure for me. You’d not be wrong in coming to the Lofoten to just climb jagged peaks and incredible mountains. But the Kvalvika beach hike gives you the best of both worlds and allows you to hike to the summit or Ryten, but also to the incredible Kvalvika beach.
Quick Facts about the Kvalvika Beach Hike
- Distance: Roughly 8km (With Ryten)
- Time: 2-4 hours depending if you add Ryten in or not
- Best travel time: Anytime, but maybe avoid wild Norweigian weather!
- Difficulty: The hike to the beach isn’t difficult, nor is Ryten. But the incline to Ryten is steep.
- Parking: Fv806 7, 8387 Fredvang, Norway. 100NOK to park.
High Points of the Kvalvika Beach Hike
- Incredible remote beach only accessible by foot or boat.
- Secret cabin situated on the beach.
- Can camp here and spend the night on the beach!
- Crystal clear waters and white sand. IN THE ARCTIC!
Low Points of the Kvalvika Beach Hike
Parking is expensive. Alternatively you could park by the first bridge on route to Innersand, but then you’d have approximately 2 miles/3km to walk in to the trailhead.
How to get to the Kvalvika Beach Hike
Situated in Fredvang in the Lofoten Islands. A breathtakingly beautiful archipelago of islands located in the Norwegian Arctic Circle.
You’ll drive over two of the most famous bridges in the whole of the Lofoten to get to Innersand where the hike starts.
If you park here, then the trail is really straightforward forward and it’s really easy to follow the route.
Once you’ve parked you’ll head over to the boardwalks and lead yourself up to the trail itself. Then the well-worn, easily navigated trail winds its way up the hill in front of you. Some bits of small scrambling up rock, and dodging knee-deep mud. It’s an easy hike up.
Once the terrain flattens out, you’ll be on boardwalks the entire way.
Then you’ll come to the fork in the road where you can head up towards the summit of Ryten, or down towards the beach. Depending on the time of the day, I’d strongly recommend going up to Ryten first and then coming down to the beach on the way back.
The views from the top down over Kvalvika are absolutely incredible.
Both paths are super easy to follow, and if you weather is good you’ll have no issues with navigation.
Here’s the AllTrails route I used.
My Experience of the Kvalvika Beach Hike
Having done this on two different occasions and in two different weather circumstances, I can tell you that it is an absolute must if you’re visiting the Lofoten islands.
The view from the summit of Ryten is spectacular and the famous shot of hanging off of the cliff is possible here so it’s worth doing just for that!
Then you’ve got Kvalvika Beach. With access only by foot, or by boat, you’ve got this incredibly undisturbed and beautifully isolated beach with blue arctic waves crashing onto the white sands.
Those two reasons are enough to make this a worthy hike whilst you’re in the Lofoten, but there is a third and probably more important reason and that is the secret cabin.
Built on the shores of Kvalvika Beach, there is a secret cabin that was home to two Norweigan surfers during their crazy winter expedition some years ago. Turning up with nothing but a surfboard and some food, they built the most incredible cabin from resources that washed up on the shores of Kvalvika.
My only clue for this incredible cabin is that is in the rocks on the first bit of the beach. It’s not hard to find that information as there’s a fairly prominent trail leading right up to its tiny hobbit door…
If you’ve any questions about the Kvalvika Beach hike, then drop them in the comments below and I’ll be happy to help.
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