Most Beautiful Lofoten Beaches That Look Like The Caribbean

Lofoten beaches are some of Northern Europe’s most beautiful. In this blog post, I uncover the most beautiful beaches in Lofoten to inspire you to visit Norway.

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Rorvik Beach / Rørvikstranda

Rorvik Beach was the first one of the beautiful beaches in Lofoten we came across on our Lofoten road trip, and boy, were we flabbergasted!

How could a beach that looks like it’s been plucked from the Caribbean be here in Northern Norway?

We heard there were beaches here, but when your brain sends you images of Norway covered in snow and grey skies, this tropical-looking panorama is hard to comprehend. And then there’s the sunshine and blue skies, enough to confuse the most level-headed person!

But here we were, walking on talcum-powder sand and looking out over the azure waters of the Norwegian Sea, and yes, I did have a t-shirt on, and yes, it was a warm day with temperatures in the high 20s.

You might be wondering, can you swim in Lofoten waters? Yes, you can, but don’t imagine the water is warm because it’s not. Nevertheless, we saw a few hardened swimmers taking the plunge on our visit. We deduced that they must be Norwegian because there’s no way a Brit would be that courageous!

Facilities on Rorvik Beach include a campsite and public toilets. This Lofoten beach is off the E10 at ‎⁨Austvågøy⁩, ⁨Kabelvåg⁩, just along the road from Lofthaugen, a picturesque stop to photograph the surrounding landscape.

sandy beach in a bay surrounded by mountains with a small path and wooden bridge leading to it. — Rorvik Beach

wooden platform with fisherman beside the turquoise waters at Rorvik beach in Lofoten. — Lofthaugen

Uttakliev Beach

The most photographed of all the Lofoten Islands beaches is Uttakliev. It is a sweeping white sandy beach backed by a grassy area and shadowed by dramatic mountains. Uttakliev is where you will find the large stone heart made of individual boulders close to a naturally shaped heart stone rock, which sits atop another boulder. You’ll also find quite a few sheep who call the beach their home and are happy to come and say hello!

Parking is payable at a kiosk beside the car park; you will need cash. The 2022 fee was 40NOK (£3) for a couple of hours. Picnic tables are dotted around the grassy area, and the campsite at Uttakliev offers basic facilities. If travelling in a camper van, you can pay to stay overnight.

There is also a 90-minute coastal walk from Uttakliev to the next Lofoten beach, Haukland. We didn’t have time to do the whole trail, so we just walked for about 20 minutes to get photographs of Uttakliev Beach from a distance.

You can get to the beach on the Fv826 – Uttaklievvien Road.

long sandy beach with mountains all around it and a large heart shape on the grass made out of boulders.

Two sheep standing on grass close to a beach.

Haukland Beach

Undoubtedly, Haukland Beach is one of the best beaches in Lofoten and probably one of the best beaches in Norway. It wouldn’t look out of place in a Caribbean or Hawaiian holiday advert. The white sandy beach and sparkling turquoise water have more of a Maui or Barbados vibe than a Norwegian one.

The giveaway that you are in Northern Norway is the mighty granite mountains which envelop the beach and the telling temperature of the sea. Let’s just say it’s a few – well, quite a few – degrees cooler than the Caribbean. I guess you can’t have everything!

Haukland is one of Lofoten’s most beautiful beaches but still tends to be less busy than Utteliev. Wild camping, free parking, toilet and shower facilities, and a small on-site food van are available at Haukland. And in summer, you can enjoy the beach as we did in the light of the midnight sun. Being outdoors past bedtime is easy to achieve when the sun never sets!

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Haukland Beach in winter is an excellent place to see the Aurora Borealis – be sure to wrap up warm, bring a flask of hot chocolate and be prepared for a long wait!

The word Lofoten made from stones on a beach.

Vikten Beach

Vikten Beach is one of the most dramatic Lofoten beaches we visited, made more so because it was a rainy day.

It’s small but pretty cool to photograph, and I imagine the water would look like the turquoise Caribbean Sea on a sunny day.

Vikten Beach is close to the Vikten Glassblowing, which we visited and thoroughly enjoyed. See how Norwegian glass is blown and shaped into beautiful vases, sculptures and jewellery and maybe take something home as a souvenir. We watched the glassblower sculpt a pink glass heart and bought a similar one that now sits at home on my dressing table.

If you require refreshments, you will find a small cafe here that sells sandwiches, cakes and hot drinks.

Dramatic mountains next to a small sandy beach in Lofoten. — Vikten Beach

Hole in rock framing a view of the beach.

Hov Beach

We ended up walking along Hov Beach quite by accident. We were due to fly home the previous day, but our flight was cancelled, so we had to find accommodation for two extra nights and ended up by one of the world’s most famous golf courses, Lofoten Links. Ironically, neither of us plays golf; however, Lofoten Links Lodges was one of the only places we could find to stay at such short notice.

Hov Beach was a hive of activity, with many families picnicking, playing ball games and generally enjoying their time together on the beach. We also saw a convoy of horseriders, which we later found out was a popular pastime on the beach, with Hov Stables arranging horseback tours.

Hov Beach is remote, and you will only find two places to grab refreshments, so bring your own to the beach. A few snacks and a coffee machine are in the golf club reception, and there’s a restaurant next door called Laven, which must be pre-booked.

We didn’t have a reservation at Laven as we hadn’t factored in still being in Lofoten, as we should have started our 3-night stay in Oslo by now. And despite our hunger pleas, the restaurant wouldn’t facilitate us. So, instead, we resorted to eating a pot noodle and a packet of biscuits we had bought in Tromso at the beginning of our trip! While not ideal, this type of unforeseen event makes travel memories!

sand beach with turquoise water and a picnic table. — Hov Beach

golf course beside the sea and beach in Lofoten. — Lofoten Links Golf Course

Final Thoughts on the Beaches in Lofoten

Every beach Lofoten has is beautiful, and there are quite a few. Some, however, are only accessible on foot and are the reward after a strenuous hike, while others are surfing beaches, attracting international surfers to ride the waves. One thing’s for sure; Lofoten beaches are big, beautiful, breathtaking and must be seen to be believed!