Does the sun ever set in the Lofoten Islands?
Unlike Iceland, which is often referred to as the 'land of the midnight sun,' but in reality the sun only briefly remains above the horizon in the far north of the country. On Lofoten, located almost 200 kilometers north of the arctic circle, the summer sun will not sink below the horizon for nearly two months.
The earth is rotating at a tilted axis relative to the sun, and during the summer months, the North Pole is angled towards our star. That's why, for several weeks, the sun never sets above the Arctic Circle.
Can you experience the night sky? Of course! Visiting in the summer is a bit like cheating, because people who live in the Lofoten Islands have to experience the harsh Arctic cold, with 24 hours of darkness, during the winter months.
The Lofoten archipelago is located above the Arctic Circle, the result of this situation is a period of permanent days in summer and at the opposite a period of permanent night in winter (polar night). In between those two extreme periods there is a big variation between days and night depending of the season.
In Lofoten, the dark period is short, just under four weeks. From Bodø and farther south, the sun does actually appear even in the deepest mid-winter, lighting up the winter landscape briefly around midday. At the other end of the scale is Svalbard, where the sun disappears completely for almost four months!
Svalbard, Norway (for the Polar Night)
Norway. Also known as the Land of the Midnight Sun, Norway, for a period of 76 days never experiences sunset.
Norway, situated in the Arctic Circle, is called the Land of the Midnight Sun, where from May to late July, the sun actually never sets. This means that for around a period of 76 days, the sun never goes down.
The Lofoten Islands have also a very mild climate although they are so North because sea currents convey warm water northward along the Norwegian coast. It is the Gulf Stream that keeps the climate so mild.
The midnight sun is a phenomenon that takes place during summer north of the Arctic Circle. During this period of time, 27th of May to 17th of July in Lofoten, the sun doesn't set below the horizon.
Can you swim in the Lofoten Islands?
Beach fun. Many people go to the beach to swim and sunbathe, but in Lofoten you will find several other activities that you can do on the beautiful beaches.
Mosquitos: unlike the north of the Norwegian mainland, there are few mosquitos or stinging insects in the Lofoten Islands.

Lofoten Islands
Whales – blue, beluga, humpback and orca, polar bears, reindeer, Arctic foxes, walrus… it really is a wildlife lovers' dream!”
Lofoten (Norway) is a place with a cold climate. Temperatures during the day are in the range from 2 °C (35 °F) in February to 15 °C (59 °F) in August. The highest night temperatures could be experienced in August with 10 °C (50 °F), the lowest in February with -3 °C (26 °F).
At the Arctic Pole, the midnight sun can be seen for six months at a time, continuously and without a break. The further you move south, the less time the midnight sun is visible for; in Northern Norway, it can be seen from late April until August.
November, December, and January are dark months in all of Norway though, unlike the north, southern Norway does continue to see sun during the winter months.
The period is also known as the blue hour, the dusk time, or “tussmørket” as some locals call it in Norwegian. Whatever the name, the period is connected to something magical. People from all over the world are drawn to Svalbard to experience this special period of transition between the light and the darkness.
With up to about 19 hours, the longest days are in June. The longest dark nights, on the other hand, are in winter (in the southern hemisphere, it's the other way around). In December, the night in Oslo lasts almost 18 hours and the days start about 6 hours later. Further north it is even more extreme.
Norway is famous across the world for its beauty and it is one of the richest countries in the world. Do you know that there is a place in the world where the sun sets at 12:43 in the night and rises again after only 40 minutes? This stunning view is witnessed at Hammerfest town in Northern Norway.
In the Norwegian city of Tromsø, the dark hours can last for up to a month a half. If you visit Hammerfest, both the northernmost city in the world and one of the two oldest towns in Norway, the polar night lasts for almost two months.
Which country has no night for 6 months?
In Svalbard, Norway, the northernmost inhabited region of Europe, there is no sunset from approximately 19 April to 23 August. The extreme sites are the poles, where the Sun can be continuously visible for half the year. The North Pole has midnight sun for 6 months from late March to late September.
North of Gisborne, New Zealand, around the coast to Opotiki and inland to Te Urewera National Park, The East Cape has the honour of witnessing the world's first sunrise each and every day.
1. Yuma (USA) According to the World Meteorological Organization, Yuma (Arizona) is the sunniest place on earth. It has a total of 11 hours of sunlight in winter and up to 13 in summer.
Samoa is one of the first countries in the world to see the sun rise and American Samoa is the last country to see the sun rise. The map shows that they are only about 100 km apart. The time difference between the two regions is 24 hours, though it takes only 20 minutes by plane to travel between them.
The North Pole stays in full sunlight all day long throughout the entire summer (unless there are clouds), and this is the reason that the Arctic is called the land of the "Midnight Sun"*.
Norway. Across the globe, Norway is known as the land of the midnight sun. For an extensive period of almost three months, the country experiences broad daylight. In fact, the sun tends to shine too glaringly around this time and the night is shrunk down to a span of 4 to 5 hours.
At the equator, the sun is directly overhead at noon on these two equinoxes. The "nearly" equal hours of day and night are due to refraction of sunlight or a bending of the light's rays that causes the sun to appear above the horizon when the actual position of the sun is below the horizon.
In Nordic countries (and thus also in Lofoten), we accordingly find dark, light-proof curtains in almost all bedrooms to enable an appropriate sleeping rhythm in the first place.
Norway probably has the cleanest water in the world. Tap water in your hotel or restaurant tastes just as good as bottled water, and it also saves you some drinking money. Rent a car – Renting a car in the Lofoten Islands is a good idea for several reasons.
The rainiest period is from September to December, the month with the most rain is that of October, while the driest months are those between April and June. In Lofoten islands, on average, about 700/800 mm of rain fall in a year, which in the winter months are mostly in the form of snow.
How many nights in Lofoten?
I recommend visiting the Lofoten Islands in 7 days. However, keep in mind that if you travel from Tromso or Bodo, it is better to add at least two more days, taking a 10-day Lofoten Islands trip.
Oh that's right, you can't do an epic Lofoten road trip if you don't have a car! You can either fly to Svolvær and rent a car from there, or fly into Bodø and get the ferry across to Moskenes in the south of Lofoten.
Plan on spending four or more days in the Lofoten Islands. This gives you enough time to drive the full length of the Lofoten Islands, visit a few towns, and hike a few trails. If you like hiking or if you want to fully immerse yourself here, one week would be perfect.
Located 800 miles from Oslo and 95 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the Lofoten archipelago is known for its remote, rugged beauty. Painters and authors have long drawn inspiration from the islands, which make appearances in many Norwegian paintings and the work of Jules Verne.
The best time to visit the Lofoten Islands is any time outside of December and January, when the sun doesn't rise at all. The calendar either side of these dark days offers abundant treats, from the Northern Lights in winter, orca spotting in spring and excellent hiking and biking in summer and autumn.
Diseases or other dangers
There is no rabies in Norway and almost no ticks, except in the vicinity of sheep pastures, and generally they do not carry any diseases.
The area where most sharks have been seen is on the stretch of coast from Møre og Romsdal to Nordland, especially in the area around the Lofoten archipelago.
Are there Mountain Lions in Norway? A common question from travelers is whether mountain lions are in Norway. Mountain lions do not live in Norway as they're found exclusively in the Americas.
Incredibly rare now in Norway, brown bears can be seen in forests in and around Øvre Pasvik National Park.
What is the average temperature in July. The average temperature in A i Lofoten in July for a typical day ranges from a high of 55°F (13°C) to a low of 52°F (11°C). Some would describe it as moderately chilly with a gentle breeze.
Is Lofoten in the Arctic Circle?
The Lofoten Islands are located off the northeast coast of Norway, above the Arctic Circle, and they're world famous for good reason.
Summer temperatures range from 12–18°C (52–65°F) and frequently exceed 25°C (77°F) or more. You won't bake in the summertime but the temperatures are ideal for getting outdoors. The mountain trails are usually open by July but it varies from year to year.
Iceland. Iceland is Europe's largest island after Great Britain, and is also known for being the country that has no mosquitoes. During summers, nights are clear in Iceland, whereas during the month of June, the sun actually never sets.
Norway. Also known as the Land of the Midnight Sun, Norway, for a period of 76 days never experiences sunset.
Situated in the Arctic Circle, Norway is called the Land of the Midnight Sun. For about a period of 76 days from May to late July, this is the place where sun never sets.
In the Svalbard archipelago, Norway's crown of islands in the High Arctic, the sun can be seen for 24 hours a day from late April to late August. This means that the locals enjoy just over four months of constant sunlight in the summer.
1. Alaska Gets Six Months of 24-Hour Sunlight and Darkness. Interestingly, this myth was perpetrated by our science books for many years. Only the furthest north and south points have equal parts daylight and darkness throughout the year, and Alaska isn't north enough to experience six months of either extreme.
For instance, it's a common notion that Iceland is dark for months, if not half the year. The idea is that, with its location along the arctic circle, the sun simply sets one day and six months of darkness unfold.
Located more than 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Tromsø, Norway, is home to extreme light variation between seasons. During the Polar Night, which lasts from November to January, the sun doesn't rise at all.
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