Lofoten · Norway
Vikten beach
Beach on the wild ocean side of Flakstadøya, just south of the small glassblowing hamlet of Vikten near the end of the road, with nothing but open sea to the west and north-west.
See tonight's live score and best time to go for Vikten beach in Aurora Atlas
.jpg){kind=link}
Why it works for the aurora
- View
- West to north over the open ocean; mountains close to the north-east block that part of the sky, so aurora overhead or to the north-west shows best..
- Darkness
- Mostly dark sky, grade 2 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. Some light from a village, houses or a road nearby.
- Aurora
- Under the auroral oval: aurora can be overhead even on quiet nights.
Getting there
- Distance
- About 16 km by road from the middle of Lofoten (estimate), roughly 18 min by car.
- Parking
- Small unlit gravel lay-by beside the road just south of the hamlet; do not park at the glassworks or in farmyards.
- Coordinates
- 68.1341, 13.3045 · Open in OpenStreetMap
Before you go
The road to Vikten is avalanche-exposed: check road status after heavy snow. The beach faces the open ocean, so keep well back from the waterline when there is swell.
Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Norway before a night drive. See our winter safety note.
Spot information from visitlofoten.com.