Surfing in Lofoten – Unstad + More
Surfing in Lofoten is life-affirming stuff. You’ll venture beyond the Arctic Circle to waves that break under colossal mountains clad in snow. Unstad is the star but there’s loads to get through.
More than a century of miles past the Arctic Circle, this corner of Europe is sublime to the T.
You’ll gaze up as 1,000-meter peaks lurch like giants from an inky ocean and happen on bays of sweeping white sand and pebbles framed by lush Scandinavian pastures.
For the adventure surfers out there, it’s a heaven, especially when SW pulses sneak through with a period over 10 seconds and Unstad gets firing.
Talking of Unstad…that’s the beach that’s put this corner of Norway firmly on the map.
It’s delivered both fame and surf crowds to this far-flung spot, having drawn the likes of Mick Fanning in 2017 and umpteen surf brands looking for Insta fodder for their new wetty line.
It’s a stunner, no doubt, with epic left and right point breaks that can hollow out like a Nordic J-Bay. But requests for directions there now draw wry smiles from the locals; and we’re talking probably the friendliest locals in Europe here!
Still crowds certainly aren’t what they are in PT or France, the vibe in the water is great, and there’s really nothing like scoring a knitted up 500-footer off the Unstad wall under the dancing Northern Lights.
Mhmm…Lofoten is bucket-list surf tip territory, with cold-water breaks, ridiculous scenery, and secret beaches galore.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Norway
Surfing in Lofoten at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to surfing in Lofoten?
Where is Lofoten?
Lofoten is one of the remotest regions in Norway. It lies more than 105 miles past the boundary of the Arctic Circle and a whopping 565 miles north of Oslo.
The journey up from the capital is about 10 hours by car, which is why many will look to jet into the regional city of Tromsø and then drive down from there.
Lofoten itself is a peninsula, starting at the town of Bjerkvik and extending all the way to Reine. The E10 road links the whole thing up and is now seen as one of the continent’s best road-trip destinations.
You can drive it all in 4-5 hours if you don’t stop, but there are oodles of surf bays and beaches that will do their best to ensure that’s not the case along the way.
We’d highly reccomend renting a car if you want to come here. The whole Lofoten region is really about exploring nooks and crannies to find amazing breaks you didn’t know were there. Not only will you need your own ride for that, but you’ll probably also need to be willing to hike a few hours before you even get in the water.
Lofoten surf spots
Most of the surf spots in Lofoten lie on the northern side of the peninsula. That’s the part that gets the best exposure to N windswells and big wrapping SW swells in the winter.
It’s also the part with the most sand, because the southern edge can be inaccessible, beset as it is by soaring mountains that drop straight into the Norwegian Sea.
Eggum
There are long, ivory-white banks of sand curling around the headland at Eggum, one of the first workable surf spots you’ll come to as you drive down the Lofoten highway from Narvik. Waves here only really start working if there’s a big N-NW swell creeping through and S winds blowing over, since the mountains aren’t high enough to offer protection. When they do rise, you’re looking at mushy stuff but good fun and with amazing scenery.
Unstad
One of the most photographed surf spots in the world in recent years, Unstad really started the whole buzz of cold-water surfing back in the 2010s.
Pros and surf-mag models alike have since flocked in to capture their shots and we can see why: It’s a jaw-dropping place to paddle out, enfolded by massive coast mountains and dashes of snow-covered shoreline. You have to see it to believe it.
Sadly, things move fast in the age of Instagram and Unstad has gone from real off-the-beaten-track spot to the most overcrowded break in Scandinavia.
When it really shines on rare long-period SW Atlantic swells of 5-8 foot in the midwinter, then expect to find some of the world’s best patrolling the shores.
But the vibe remains good and there are sessions to be had when it’s just you and the wild seas under the Unstad cliffs. Getting up really early helps.
There are two main breaks to know about in Unstad:
- The Unstad Right – The premier wave in the bay is a long, sectiony right that comes off the pebbles on the north side of the beach. With periods over 10 secs and something in the 7-9 foot range (which is rare), this one fires off heavy shoulders that will stream through almond barrels and out onto long, rippable walls, sometimes going for 300 meters or more. It’s amazing to watch and even better to score.
- The Unstad Left (Garbage Dump) – We LOVE the Unstad left. It’s a cruisy, bowly wave that can connect up all its various sections to give rides of 300-500 meters on a great day. We rate it among the best left point breaks on the planet because of the setting but the locals tell us it’s too fickle for that. Challenging wave and quite rippy. Perhaps we lucked out on a good day!
Vikten
Another of the beginner-friendly beach breaks that hide south of Unstad, Vikten works best on SW-wrap around swells but has mush when there’s N windswell in the channel.
Be careful not to stray too far down the bay to where the reefs start. They are very rocky and can get exposed at low tide.
Flakstad Beach
Literally one bend around the headland at the north end of Skagsanden Beach (see below), Flakstad Beach is where the total beginners should retreat to on bigger winter swells and high winds.
It’s one of the most protected bays in the region, and sets need to wrap-around almost a full 180 degrees to form up on the western end of the bay.
If they can manage that, and they don’t always, then you get some neat wedgy lefts to practice on. They’re never that big and usually very forgiving. The bottom is sand.
Skagsanden Beach
One of the regions finest surf camps now makes its home right behind the glinting sands of Skagsanden Beach.
They have space for RVs and tents, along with an on-site café. All that just steps from a stretch of about 300 meters of beachfront that picks up good windswell action in the winter months from the W and the N.
Skagsanden is sand-bottomed and very much beach break the whole way along, so it really lends itself to the beginner and intermediate end of the spectrum. Proper rippers should save themselves for Unstad.
Where to stay when surfing in Lofoten?
Remote Scandi cabins, wild B&Bs facing Nordic bays, and campgrounds right on the beach – Lofoten has plenty for travelers with the board and fins in the bag.
You can choose one to base yourself in a single spot, or string the lot together to surf multiple locations up and down the peninsula.
That said, if you have a chance, pick Unstad Arctic Surf – it’s the best in the whole region no questions!
- Unstad Arctic Resort – My lord, Unstad Arctic Surf is something special. The pad faces the open bay of Unstad. You can settle in the hot tub and gaze straight down at the lefts and rights. Most importantly you’ll be the first in the water come the morning, or at midnight when the Northern Lights start to do their thing. The stay itself is gorgeous, with a spacious dining area and kitchen, and master bedrooms with arguably the most amazing views ever. Yikes it’s nice.
- Unstad Surfpacker – Perfect location, right above the local surf shop in Unstad, with a communal lounge and a shared kitchen. It’s the chilled surf campy spot here and pretty great tbh.
When to surf in Lofoten?
The peak season for surfing in Lofoten is the winter, between November and March.
That’s the cold season that ushers in lots of days that bring N windswells but also the occasional big SW groundswell push, which are the ones that will get the right and left points of Unstad firing at their surf-mag-worthy best.
N winds are almost always onshore then, but cold systems from the E can come through and funnel between the Lofoten coast mountains to offer the perfect offshore pushes when the god are feeling kind.
Don’t totally discount the summer months. There are waves to be had, though most of it will be windswell. We’d say the time from May to October is the best for beginners surfing in Lofoten, and a great time to join one of the local surf camps on the beaches.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
