Reine - Sakrisøy - Hamnøy

Rain, hail and rainbows, photo stops in Sakrisøy, Reine and Hamnøy, a visit to the Lofoten waterfall and faint northern lights over the sea in the evening.

Annina & Nicolas 13 September 2021 · 3 min read

In short

Because of rain and hail we stay in the accommodation in the morning and plan the next few days, and in between we see a spectacular rainbow right outside the front door. In the afternoon we drive to Sakrisøy, walk to the Lofoten waterfall and stop in Reine and Hamnøy. In the evening we wait for northern lights, which are barely visible at first and then stretch as a green band across the whole sky.

Country:

Norway

Date:

13 September 2021

Photos:

This rainy day with plenty of hail does not exactly invite us to hike, so we spend the morning in the accommodation and plan the next few days. Now and then the sun comes out a little and once again we see a spectacular rainbow in front of our front door. We christen the season up here “Rainbow Season”, because the rain has its advantages too.

The rainbow over the fjord, a jetty with motorboats on the left, a red hut on the right — The rainbow in front of the accommodation by the fjord · 2 photos

A woman seen from behind stands on a wooden jetty, in front of her a double rainbow over the fjord and red huts — The rainbow in front of the accommodation by the fjord · 2 photos

In the afternoon there is a little sun, so we grab our cameras and drive to Sakrisøy to photograph the little orange hut once more.

The little orange hut in Sakrisøy in front of a steep, pointed mountain, a woman with a light blue headband in the foreground — Photo stop in Sakrisøy · 2 photos

An open wooden shed with two boats at the water, dark mountains behind and gaps in the clouds — Photo stop in Sakrisøy · 2 photos

There we meet a Norwegian who now lives in the Netherlands and is visiting the same photo spots as we are. We chat a little and get a tip to drive to a waterfall nearby. We wait out the next hail shower in the car and then walk from the car park to the Lofoten waterfall. For Swiss people it is more of a little waterfall, but it is lovely all the same. We walk around the area a bit and enjoy a few rays of sunshine.

The Lofoten waterfall plunges over rock steps, with houses and the sea in the background

We also stop briefly again in Reine and Hamnøy. In Reine we do some shopping and drive back to our accommodation.

Sunlight and haze on a steep rock face above a small village on the water, a bridge on the right — A stop at the fjords between Reine and Hamnøy · 3 photos

A pointed, rocky mountainside above calm water, more jagged peaks on the left — A stop at the fjords between Reine and Hamnøy · 3 photos

We spend the evening editing photos and waiting for northern lights, because the forecast promises somewhat less cloud and a higher KP index than in the last few days. For a long time we see none at all, but then we can make out a few very faint green streaks in the sky, some of them still hidden behind the clouds. Even the cameras can barely capture the faint lights. Just as we are about to give up, the lights get stronger and we see a green band stretch across the whole sky. Even if the lights are not that strong, the natural wonder is still a spectacle. Especially because the sea is completely calm that night and the mountains and lights are reflected in it.