The nearby fishing villages of Sakrisoy, Hamnoy and Å are equally picturesque just like the picture-perfect Reine. With somewhat similar dramatic landscapes surrounding the villages makes it worthwhile to check them out too. Furthest away from Reine is a single letter named village of Å, pronounced something like ‘Aw’ or ‘O-arh’. Often referred as ‘Å i Lofoten’ to distinguish itself from the same name village in Vesterålen.
This is the southernmost fishing village of Lofoten Islands where the E10 road ends. It may seem that whoever named the village is lacking in creativity or inspiration. But the name implies a small river in Old Norwegian word so I suppose that was the intention. For comparison, the longest name for a village is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in Wales. Gosh!
The Southernmost Village of Ã… i Lofoten
Ã… i Lofoten is located around 10 kilometres from Reine where the drive took me 20 minutes or less. The journey brings me to the town of Moskenes. And all seems quiet around its ferry terminal. But should be livelier when the scheduled ferry is docked. Probably best to check the timetable online as I do not see any information counter.
There are two other Norwegian villages – SørvÃ¥gen and Tind along the way to Ã…. While the lake at SørvÃ¥gen was still frozen back then.
And finally a glimpse of Ã… i Lofoten from Tind.
Arrived Ã… i Lofoten upon exiting the final tunnel of E10 road that linked up Lofoten Islands. That brings me to an open space car park and bus terminal. A foot path leads to the camp site at the super windy coastal area. And out in the waters is where the dangerous phenomenon of ‘Maelstrom’ or whirlpools is often spotted.
I spotted Ã… Rorbuer & Brygga Restaurant while walking from campsite to the village centre. And thought to settle one meal here. But the restaurant is closed in April like most other shops except for the Norwegian Fishing Village Museum. A museum is not my kind of thing so I opt to wander around instead.
Ã… i Lofoten with its long fishing history seems more geared towards tourism now. But there are not many people around here since it is off season. Hence, the most commonly seen life forms are noisy birds settling on the unmanned Rorbuer.
Goldish-Yellowy Sakrisoy
The small village of Sakrisoy is a mere ten-minute drive from Reine. Unlike the usual red Rorbuer commonly seen around Lofoten Islands, the dominating colour here is golden yellow, which is a nice change. And it seems like most of them are available for rent via Sakrisoy Rorbuer.
The turquoise colour in the shallow water is an excellent foreground that ups the contrasting appeal to the yellowish Rorbuer and mountainous background. It is an amazing sight and I am totally blown away.
Hamnoy of Lofoten Islands
A short drive from Sakrisoy is the rocky and beautiful Hamnoy. It is considered to be the oldest fishing village in Lofoten Islands. The red Rorbuer looks to be hugging dearly onto the rocky coastline. Here is also where the popular Eliassen Rorbuer is located.
Hamnøy Mat & Vinbu Ø Kleppevik is one restaurant that remains open during the off-peak season. The food serves here is top notch and oh-so tasty. It is just not wallet friendly like every other Scandinavian restaurant. But the restaurant may have already closed or changed hands while I am typing this. The owner mentioned that it is not economical to operate the restaurant all year round and he will probably not continue. Pity.
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What are your thoughts about Sakrisoy, Hamnoy and Ã… i Lofoten? Leave a comment and share it with me.
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