Out by the notorious Moskstraumen maelstrom we find Værøy, the next outermost of the Lofoten Islands. The active fishing village of Sørland at Værøy has a long and rich traditional history. Here the best of Lofoten is gathered together in one place: fish reception centre, cabins, jetties, and fishing boats moored along the quayside with a backdrop of majestic mountains rising straight from the sea.
At Værøy, we can also experience sugar-white beaches, bird cliffs, colonies of northern gannets, and abandoned settlements. At Nordland, we'll see a pebble beach, an old picturesque church, and the disused airfield.
We head out towards one of the world's most dangerous stretches of ocean, notorious and feared by seafarers for thousands of years. The maelstrom has been described by the Greek Pytheas more than 2,000 years ago, and by world-renowned writers such as Jules Verne, Herman Melville and Edgar Allan Poe. Stories have been told about the Store Male, a maelstrom that dragged everything that came near it down to the darkest depths. Boats were smashed to pieces, whales screamed in terror as they met their tragic end in a violent and foaming maelstrom. Imagination knows no bounds, but no smoke without fire? We'll take you out there — so you can see for yourself!
On the trip we visit several abandoned fishing villages, including Ånstad which was one of the largest fishing villages in Lofoten in its heyday. Now only the foundations remain and you can let your imagination fill in the rest.
We head through Hell and Refsvika at Lofoten's rugged Yttersia. Abandoned places where to this day you can get a sense of what it was like to live off the sea a hundred years ago. At Refsvika, there is also a giant coastal cave where Stone Age people made cave paintings on the walls more than 3,000 years ago.
We also take a detour to Svarvan and Buholman, which are small islands and reefs out by Moskstraumen. Here we find a colony of northern gannets and several other bird cliffs, as well as an emergency shelter built by the Værøy fishermen to keep safe those who failed to make their way back from Moskstraumen in stormy weather.
Borrow from us:
Goggles
Survival suit
Rescue equipment
Please bring
Warm clothes, headgear and gloves
Your camera if you wish
Meet up 30 minutes before departure to go through the safety instructions.
The trip takes 2-2.5 hours.
Treat yourself to everyday luxury for two. Take a weekend trip to The Tide in Sørvågen and experience everything that Lofoten is known for. Your dream weekend is closer than you think!
Discover Sørvågen — the midpoint for cultural attractions and rich natural scenery. The package trip allows you, together with your friends and family, to enjoy easy access to everything Lofoten has to offer.
Experience Moskstraumen up close! See whales, killer whales, sea eagles and a lively birdlife. Accompany boatmen who are well-acquainted with the local area on a memorable experience as close as you can get to the nature of northern Norway.
© The Tide 2022
