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The Lofoten islands are a Norwegian arctic archipelago. The islands are located, around 68 ° north latitude, north of the Arctic circle, in the Norwegian province of Nordland.
The archipelago covers a total of 1,227 km² and has fewer than 25,000 inhabitants. The most important cities of the Lofoten islands are Leknes on the island of Vestvågøy and Svolvær on the island of Austvågøy. The archipelago is administratively divided into five municipalities: Vågan, Vestvågøy, Flakstad, Moskenes, Værøy and Røst.
The main islands of Lofoten are those of Austvågøy (526.7 km²), Vestvågøy (411.1 km²), Moskenesøya (185.9 km²), Flakstadøya (109.8 km²), and Gimsøy (46.4 km²). But there are also many other small islands. The archipelago is separated from the Norwegian mainland by the Vestfjorden canal.
The islands are famous for their wonderful natural landscapes. These are characterized by unspoiled and wild nature, and by impressive mountains that fall sheer above the sea. Lofoten’s highest mountain is Mount Higravstinden (1,161 meters) on the island of Austvågøy.
The islands are rich in animal life, there are otters, elk and numerous species of birds including sea eagles, puffins and cormorants. Lofoten are the land of fishing. In fact, fishing is by far the largest industry on the islands. Although in recent times tourism is continuously increasing and has become one of the most important sources of income for the inhabitants of the islands.
HOW TO GET TO LOFOTEN ISLANDS
The Lofoten islands have three small airports, those of Svolvær, Leknes and Røst, which are served by regional flights.
The most used airport to reach the islands is Narvik. From Narvik to Svolvær it is less than 2 and a half hours by car.
Another airport used for those arriving to the islands is Bodø. From Bodø airport there are flights to Svolvær, Leknes and Røst airports. Bodø is also connected by ferries to Moskenes in Lofoten. The crossing takes between 3 hours and 3 hours and 30 minutes.
