The rainy weather in Lofoten prompted us to continue our journey. Our next destination was the island of Senja. We had visited Senja on a previous trip and hiked Segla, which you can read about in more detail here โ. This time, our goal was to conquer the nearby Hesten peak, so we headed towards Senja. Senja had impressed us with its beauty on our last visit, so we were eagerly anticipating our arrival. More about that in later posts.
Whale Watching in Lofoten
We had just set off towards Senja and had barely settled into the car when we noticed a large crowd of people and cars by the roadside looking out to sea. Curious about what was happening, we soon spotted whales in the middle of the Sundstraumen Strait.
We quickly parked the car by the road and joined the crowd to marvel at the group of whales swimming in the strait. It was an incredible sight, and we had never seen whales before, especially from such a close distance.
We launched our drone to capture better footage of the whales. We were careful not to disturb them, so we kept the drone at a distance and used the zoom function to take photos and videos.
It seemed that this spot provided a good feeding ground for the whales, as they stayed in the area for quite some time, allowing us to observe their behavior.
This was an amazing experience and definitely one of the most memorable moments of the entire trip!
After the whale watching, we continued our journey, planning to drive leisurely towards Senja and stop to admire the scenery as we pleased. The drive to Senja island from here was approximately 500 kilometers in total.
Here are a few highlights from the journey where we stopped and stayed overnight.
Flakstadbruene Bridges
The Flakstadbruene bridges are a stunning series of arch bridges that connect Flakstadรธya island to Moskenesรธya island via a couple of smaller islands. These bridges are a must-see, especially if you’re heading towards Ryten. The scenery is breathtaking, with majestic mountains surrounding the bridges and the water below shifting beautifully from light turquoise to deep blue.
Along the E10 road, there’s a spacious rest area behind the bus stop at the intersection, making it an ideal spot to pause and take in the views. Even if you’re not planning to visit that part of the island, driving across the bridges is highly recommended, and you can always return the same way.
Leknes
We stopped in Leknes to visit a grocery store and took a quick tour of the town. After Svolvรฆr, Leknes is the second-largest settlement in Lofoten and offers good services after the small fishing villages. There are several grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants, making it a good resupply point.
Fuglvika, Wild Camping
The evening was already quite advanced, so we were looking for a suitable wild camping spot, which we found here. Here was a good, larger parking area by the roadside, offering a peaceful spot for the night. We parked the car towards the sea and set up for the night. Although the spot was right by the road, the traffic was relatively quiet, so it didn’t bother us.
Gisundbrua Bridge
The Gisundbrua Bridge connects the island of Senja to the mainland between Finnsnes and Silsand, crossing the Gisundet Strait. The bridge is over a kilometer long and about 40 meters high, making it a striking sight over the strait. Finnsnes is a slightly larger town offering good shopping opportunities, including a large shopping center if you feel the urge to shop amidst camping.
On Senja island, we headed to the familiar Ersfjord Beach from our previous trip. It’s a beautiful spot and well-located for hiking Segla/Hesten. We’ll continue more about Senja in the next post.
