Wondering what to see and do on the Norwegian island of Vaerøy ? How to get to the island Where to sleep with your vehicle or in which hotel ? You’ve come to the right place!
We visited this small, isolated island at the southern tip of the Lofoten archipelago, where the scenery is simply stunning. It’s a must if you like to get off the beaten tourist track.
Below, we’ve listed our must-sees for your visit to Vaerøy Island.
Why include Vaerøy in your Lofoten Islands itinerary?
Værøy is a small island in the south of the Lofoten archipelago, with just a few hundred inhabitants. As soon as we set foot on this island, we had the impression of arriving in a place completely isolated from the rest of the world.
So here are 3 reasons to include this little island in your Lofoten archipelago vacation:
- In terms of paysages, it‘s a condensed version of the Lofoten Islands, with towering mountains, isolated beaches and crystal-clear waters… off the beaten tourist track, so without the world.
- The ferry to get there is free, and we’ll tell you all about it below!
- 1 day is enough to explore the island
What to do in Vaerøy
The main activity in Værøy is hiking!
Haen hike
Topography: 5km AR D+ 600m
After a short overnight stay in the ferry parking lot at Bodo and a few hours on the ferry, we arrive on the charming island of Værøy in bright sunshine.
With our travel buddies Justine and Rénald, we decide to tackle the Haen hike directly, which starts just 4 km from the port. If you don’t have a car, you can walk to the start like other hikers.
As always in Norway, getting to the top of a mountain is easy: it’s straight ahead, so it goes up a lot at once. The slope was too steep for our daughter (aged 3), so Matthieu finished the climb, not without difficulty, with her in a baby carrier.
On reaching the top, we were rewarded with a 360-degree view of Vaeroy Island, its white sandy beaches and crystal-clear sea. We even saw eagles in full flight. We were alone on the course at the beginning of July. This is an important point to note, as it’s the only hike in the Lofoten Islands where we enjoyed the trail and not just the view. We discuss this point in our article about Reine and the Reinebringen hike.
We then walked along the ridge, not too afraid of heights, to another, even more incredible viewpoint, next to the NATO radar station. This is one of our most beautiful spots on the Lofoten archipelago.
White sand beach
We then parked in the old airstrip parking lot on the north side of the island, right next to a small white sandy beach (next to the Heimretussen viewpoint).
The Lofoten Islands are renowned for their white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, so the beaches are magnificent. We only got our feet wet, as the water is about ten degrees. We did spot some seals playing just a few yards away.
Måstad and Måhornet hikes
A second hike, which we had noted but didn’t have time to do, starts at the old airstrip and follows the entire west coast of the island to a small, isolated fishing village. At Mastad viewpoint, our friends were lucky enough to admire orcas playing in the bay. We’ll be back next time! Topography: 17km AR D+ 800m
Practical information for your visit to Vaerøy
How to get to the island
It’s an island, so the only way to get there is by ferry, a 3-hour boat ride from Bodo. Good news and a great deal: from Bodo (on the mainland, point A on our map) or Moeskenes (on the Lofoten archipelago, point C on our map), if you stop off at Vaeroy (point B on our map), the ferry is free. Here’s a map to help you find your way around geographically.
We took the 5:30 am ferry to Bodo, then left the island of Vareoy at 10:45 pm the next day for the port of Moeskenes. So you don’t have to stay overnight if you only want to spend a day visiting the island. Just take the first boat and leave with the last.
Afterwards, you can either take a ferry to the sublime island of Vaeroy (departure at 5.15pm or 5.30am, FREE FERRY) or directly to the port of Moeskenes.
Official Torghatten website for ferry timetables and bookings. If, like us, you are unable to book your ferry, we advise you to arrive at the port at the end of the day and sleep directly in the queue. Even if we don’t hide the fact that it’s a very noisy place and therefore the night wasn’t very restful.
If you’d like to find out more about free ferries and our tips for saving money during your trip to the Lofoten Islands, you can read our Lofoten Islands budget article.
Where to sleep on the island?
You can rent accommodation on the island or take the 10:45 pm boat directly to Moskenes and sleep nearby.
We advise you to book well in advance, as the island is very small and the range of accommodation is limited, but this Lofoten Vaeroy Bryggehotell hotel offers rooms conveniently located for touring the island. We recommend the Airbnb website to find what you’re looking for!
➡️Voir Lofoten Vaeroy Bryggehotell hotel prices and availability
By car, you can sleep in the parking lot on the old airstrip or pitch your tent nearby.
We really enjoyed writing this article. If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below. We spent 2 months in Norway, so check out our other articles about this incredible country.
Don’t hesitate to leave us a note or 5 stars below, to let us know if you’re planning this trip, to ask any questions you may have, below we’ll answer you with great pleasure. You can check out our Instagram stories from our Norway trip, to give you a taste of what’s in store!
