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Travel · 22 September 2026 · 2 min read

Autumn Hike to Kvalvika Beach

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The weather is reasonably dry, so we hike to Kvalvika Beach. The path is very muddy and the ridge windy, but the Lofoten glow in red and orange. In the afternoon the storm rattles our cabin, we have run out of firewood, and for dinner two gratins compete.

Looking down on the bay of Kvalvika, waves rolling onto the sand between steep rock walls

The tour in numbers

Start
Fredvang in the Lofoten, car park at the old school or at Innersand
Getting there
By car on the E10 to Fredvang and across the Fredvang bridges. Parking at the trailhead is limited and fills up quickly in high season.

Today the weather is reasonably dry, so we set off on the hike to Kvalvika Beach. We already know the beach from our last two hikes there. In September 2022 we climbed Ryten in bright sunshine, 543 metres above sea level, and after two to three hours of climbing looked down on the turquoise bay from the overhanging rock. The bay can only be reached on foot, there is no road to it. Back then the water glowed turquoise in the sun. Today the sky is grey and overcast.

The path is very muddy. But it is beautifully autumnal here right now. The rowan berries glow red, the grass and bushes have turned orange, and in between lie the grey lakes, fjords and the sea. We love this contrast and keep stopping to photograph it.

Red rowan berries on a branch, the orange hillside behind on the way to Kvalvika Beach A grey mountain above a lake, orange leaves at the edge, on the way to Kvalvika Beach Lakes and small islands between the mountains, autumn scrub in the foreground, on the way to Kvalvika Beach Orange grass on the slope, a lake below and a thin waterfall on the mountainside

Up on the ridge it is windy. In return we have a great view down onto Kvalvika Beach. The bay lies between steep rock walls, and the waves roll onto the pale sand. On the way back we look down over the valley with its lakes and bays, and by the water below there is a small red house among the orange bushes.

Looking back from the path above Kvalvika Beach over lakes and bays, a steep rock face on the right A hiker on the rocky path below the rock face, lakes and mountains behind
A lake with small islands between the mountains, a red house on the shore among orange autumn leaves The small red house on the shore between orange bushes

Back at the car we are glad to be inside, because the wind has picked up after all.

At the cabin we make ourselves our familiar Rett i Koppen, instant soups in a cup, to warm up. Outside it gets windier and windier. A few times we feel as if our little house is about to blow away. We have run out of firewood for the fireplace. There would be some to buy in Reine, but Annina is worried about Nicolas driving all the way there in this wind. So we stay inside, sort through our photos and edit them.

For dinner we make two gratins, a classic potato gratin and a potato and cauliflower gratin. Both are very tasty, but we agree: the classic potato gratin wins.

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