Don your survival suit and let’s hit the WildSeas.

3-Day Summer Glamping Safari | Skrova, Lofoten, Norway

Picture this. Crystal clear aqua blue water gently laps against a crescent swath of white sandy beach. Ahead, down a small trail that wends through the tall grasses, you spy the pitch of a tent. A lavvu teepee tent, to be exact. Several lavvu sit erect in a grassy green meadow, echoing the peaks of mountains in the distance. This idyllic dose of Arctic summer can be found on the small island outpost of Skrova, in the Lofoten Islands. Here is where we’ll be glamping for the weekend. This serene scene will be our base for a summer safari above the Arctic circle with WildSeas Adventures. Three days of exploring fjords, hiking fjells and kayaking cool blue waters. This is Northern Norway, up close and personal.

Sustainable Tourism north of the Arctic Circle starts in Svolvær, Norway

There will be a full day of exploring this part of Lofoten before we even step foot on the sand I speak of here in Skrova. Let’s began back in Svolvær, the bustling hub and center of activity for the Lofoten Islands. This is the largest town we’d seen since exploring around Lofoten this week. In the town center, we find the welcome tent for WildSeas Adventures, where we meet our group and get outfitted for today’s journey. Some serious Arctic fashion is about to happen.

We chose WildSeas for their work dedicated to protecting marine mammals, not always an easy task in Northern Norway, where you’ll still find whale on the menu. Owner Stephanie J. Milne is a marine mammal specialist and creator of the Cetacea Project. She has worked with and studied these beautiful creatures all over the world. Much of her work has focused on the environmental impacts of humans and industry on marine mammal behavior and she now advocates how to best protect these magnificent beasts. After meeting her husband Fred Erik Torhus, a mariner and Norwegian – moving to Norway to work with whales was the most natural progression.

WildSeas itself is a young company and better known in their winter base further north at Tromsø where Orca whales swim freely under the Northern Lights. There, they run whale watching tours, advocacy and community education about whale conservation. But we’re here in summer and lucky for us WildSeas has moved south to Lofoten and set up camp this season. A glamping camp that you need to see to believe.

Eco-tourism lets people experience nature in a transformative way. By encouraging people to connect with nature, we support local communities while increasing environmental awareness and protection. By involving our guests in our research, we hope they feel more invested in the future health of our planet.”
– Stephanie J. Milne, Owner WildSeas, Founder The Cetacea Project

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DAY 1 | ALL ABOARD THE BLACKFISH

CRUISING TO TROLLFJORD FROM SVOLVÆr, NORWAY

When we begin the day under bright sunny skies and above average temps, it is difficult to see the need for the full Arctic survival suit we are given at the start of our summer safari. But climb into them we do. Puffed and fluffed in these stunning fashion forward neon onesie suits, we make the short five-minute walk from the WildSeas welcome tent to a nearby pier. Soon we find the WildSeas boat “Blackfish.” If that name sounds familiar, it is for good reason. Named after the viral and impactful documentary about the controversial state of Orca whales in captivity, Stephanie chose it on purpose. It is an apt name, now that you know the driving philosophy behind WildSeas.

Carefully, we make our way down the metal gangway and are personally welcomed on board by the WildSeas power team, Stephanie and Fred Erik themselves. Situated, oriented and now ready, our captain Fred Erik steers us out of the Svolvær harbor, stable and steady. We are headed to the Trollfjord today, a small but stunning rocky inlet north of Svolvær. Only 100 meters wide at the opening, the channel here opens into a verdant 2-kilometer long Norwegian fjord where waterfalls roll down from the peaks above. As we slow down to take in the scenery, Stephanie shares a brief history of a raging turf war in this harbor back when the commercialization interests of the fishing industry were pushing out smaller local fisherman. It’s hard to picture all that brutal drama on this beautiful, calm and sparkling day.

WAFFLES AND COFFEE STOP AT RISVÆr BRYGGER

Turning away from Trollfjord, we keep our eyes peeled for Sea Eagles perched on sea cliffs. Flocks of guillemots scuttle in a flurry across the water. A brief appearance of a dorsal fin in the distance elicits gasps from the group and a frenzy of pointing. We turn and wait hoping for another glimpse of the dolphins. They’ve moved far off and are still moving further, so we continue our course. Forget the dolphins, we’re heading for waffles. That oh-so Norwegian of afternoon treats. Not just for breakfast anymore. Actually they never really were ever for breakfast up here in Scandiland.

Out here on the water, it’s hard to guess where we’ll be sampling the sweets. Soon we can see Risvær. But a blip of a spot on the map; it is truly not much more than a collection of summer houses along an inlet of this little islet. There is no market or shops, but they do have a pub and that’s where we’re headed, Stephanie informs us.

Risvær Brygger is buzzing today with the warm weather and blue skies. Boats full of happy people line the docks with more on the deck. Blackfish parked, we happily shed our suits. Quickly, we have warm waffles and coffee or cocoa to enjoy at the tables outside. Try it the Norwegian way with brunost – that nutty, caramelly, melty brown cheese that I’ve only ever known in Norway. Can’t imagine cheese on your waffle? Don’t worry, you can enjoy the house made strawberry preserves and tangy crème fraîche instead. But don’t look for maple syrup. This isn’t your mama’s Sunday brunch. I probably tested all three toppings just to make sure. When in Norway, you know.

DINNER AT DEN SORTE GRYTE | AN ORGANIC GOAT FARM

Back on the boat and zipped once again into our suits and feeling fetching, we sit back and soak in the landscape, tummies sated from our sweet snack stop. We’ve got a little bit to relax and enjoy the seemingly infinite layers of mountains that shoot up from the shore. Before too long, we turn into a harbor to discover our next stop. This is Den Sorte Gryte. The Black Pot. And for good reason. That big black pot makes darn good cheese. Goat Cheese.

Den Sorte Gryte is a goat farm extraordinaire. The same passion that Stephanie shares about whales, our host Jorunn feels about her goats. She is at once a goat farmer, cheese maker, head chef, hostess, entertainer, singer, museum curator and story teller. You can’t help but adore her. While we watch the goats come in from their day of grazing to start the milking, Jorunn tells us about life on the farm here at Den Sorte Gryte. We are treated to stories and lessons in how brunost should really taste while we sip house made summer berry saft, a popular Scandinavian juice drink. Cold and delicious, not too sweet.

Dinner is a fabulous spread of freshly caught Norwegian kveite (halibut), kjebab (a spiced meat mixture), potatoes, vegetables and salads and sauces. After the meal, with the sun still shining brightly, we take our desserts outside on the terrace overlooking the farm and on out to the water. Jorunn instructs us to choose one of the cups and saucers out of her collection for some coffee or tea to enjoy with the cheesecake and brunost from her goats. I happily select a fancy gilt number just because I can. Once finished, we get a quick tour through the farm museum that she’s set up in her bright red barn. I have a sense she could sit and tell stories about all the items in the collection for hours, but unfortunately, we have tides and time working against us and must go. We say quickly say takk! Thank you! And head back to the boat.

LANDING AT SKROVA AND WELCOME TO THE GLAMPGROUND

The late light dances on the water, throwing sublime sparkles like a welcome mat as we finally reach our glampground. Remember that crescent swath of white sandy beach? We’re here. Blackfish is carefully maneuvered right onto the sand and we take our bags and step out onto the beach from the front of the vessel. Waving goodbye to our captain and the other day trippers, we head up to the camp, where we meet Frida – our host for the night. 

LET US INSIDE OUR LOVELY LAVVU TENTS

Stephanie and Frida lead us to our tents and unzip each teepee to reveal our special accommodations for the weekend. These are modern lavvu tents modeled after the indigenous Sami design and they are huge. Inside, a comfortable queen sized bed for two. Charming details like lanterns and pillows and candles enhance the glamp. There is a main tent where we’ll breakfast and get set for each day. But my favorite part of the camp is the private beach reachable beyond the tents.

MIDNIGHT SUNSETS FROM YOUR PRIVATE ARCTIC BEACH

This little slice of awesomesauce is not as large as the stretch we arrived on, this beach is quiet. And the perfect place to wade in the shallow water, warmed up with the long midnight sun. We take off our shoes and walk towards the sunset, only now just setting, literally at midnight. The peaks turn pinks and peaches and then purples, but the light never really leaves. Find a spot and watch the display, at least one of the nights. It was slow and epic and ever so worthy of soaking all in.

 

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DAY 2 | EXPLORING THE ISLAND OF SKROVA

KAYAKING in AQUA ARCTIC WATER

We wake for breakfast in the main tent, a simple Scandinavian array of yogurt with muesli or cereals, bread with leverpostej, cheese and jam or nutella. Wash it down with coffee and tea and juices. We’re now ready for our adventures around Skrova today.

Down on the main beach, we find a collection of colorful kayaks and Frida ready to help us get set. We practice our paddling from the safety of shore and Frida gives us tips to make the most of pushing while using our core. Within half an hour, we are ready to try it and pull our boats down to the water, get in and we’re off. Any nervousness I may have been harboring evaporates under Frida’s watchful eye. Once we’ve launched we feel stable and settle and in for the tour.

The water here is clear. So clear. You can see seaweed and wee fish and all sizes of jellies. I spy an odd crab as it scuttles along the seafloor. Frida shows us which seaweed is safe to eat and picks us a pod that is ready and ripe. It tastes of the sea, salty and green, then bitter and tart. I imagine the taste hasn’t changed in thousands of years.

We slip along the surface mesmerized by the views. How different everything looks from this vantage so close to the water. After a few hours, we stop and take our lunch on the beach. Some swim, some soak up the sun and I seek out the perfect pink shells that litter the shore. Sated and rested, we return to our vessels and resume circumnavigation of little Skrova. We see some sea eagles soar up the sides of the hills, but it is the water here that I’ve become smitten with, colors I can’t quite seem to capture on film. Liquid greens and aqua blues that I will want to remember. We spin through the town harbor while Frida shares a bit about the island, its history and charm.

DINNER AT LOCAL PUB

We finish day two with some downtime back at camp. Then an easy hike over hills to Skrova’s main town. Here showers are available if you want them. You may think being clean is synonymous with glamping, but I was honestly looking forward to not showering for three days. Judge me if you will. Others took advantage while we waited for pizza. There are adult beverages available at this cute pub on the water, so bring along your pocket change or an arm and a leg. Drinks are heavily taxed in Norway and can be quite expensive. We splurge on a few cold beers and enjoy the late sun, assessing how sore backs and shoulders will be from our paddling today. (Not so bad as it turned out!)

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DAY 3 | DAY HIKE AND RETURN TO SVOLVÆR

BE READY FOR RAIN AND DON’T LET IT DAMPEN THE DISCOVERY

Overnight clouds roll in, open up and gently drop, drop, plop, plunk and lull us to sleep. I find the steady rhythm of rain on the tent easier to dream in than the slight wind from the night before. Come morning, candles in the main tent are a warm welcome on this damp awakening. Jonas, our Danish host, greets us with breakfast and the plan for the day. Put on your layers as we’ll be hiking over hills.

It isn’t THAT cold and we’re up for the adventure. But the damp will seep in if your outerwear isn’t right. Dressed and ready, Jonas starts our day off with a quick safety briefing and his best hiking practices. I may have broken every suggestion he offered, but then you wouldn’t have the video I offer below. My hiking shoes were awesome and I hope yours are too. But listen to Jonas. He knows what he is talking about. And he will help you if you don’t.

Yes, it rained. A lot. The last day. And while I wouldn’t necessarily choose to scale mountains and explore Arctic ridges under wet skies or over damp mossy trails, I’m happy I did. Even in the rain, it was still truly beautiful. Something moody and misty and still magical. We found Arctic orchids and heather and lichens and moss in a palette so different from our days before. I loved the dichotomy.

We made it over the mountain and back to Skrova where we lunched in a tunnel full of photography and art. As it turns out Skrova has a thriving community of photographers and artists and it is fun to see the history of this town through the lenses of yore. We don’t last long in the lingering damp and are grateful for a ride back to the camp. Packed up and ready we say farewell to our glampground. Our ride back to Svolvær is truly over some wild seas this time and the adventure lives up to its name. What a truly wild weekend it has been.

BOOK YOUR TOUR:

Find Stephanie, Fred Erik, Frida and Jonas and book your tour here:

WILDSEAS
www.wildseas.no

WHAT TO PACK FOR A SUMMER SAFARI:

• Warm clothes & under layers
• Camping towel & bathing suit
• Water shoes
• Windbreaker & rain gear
• Quick drying options
• Hiking boots or Trail Shoes with Traction
• Water bottle
• Sunscreen
• Mosquito repellent
  

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DISCLOSURE:

I was a guest of WildSeas, but we paid for my husband.
As always all opinions as always are my own.

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