Ryten/Kvalvika Beach Trail — Attraction in Flakstad

One of the coolest experiences this summer, and a true highlight of our vacation, was hiking the trail to Ryten from the Innersand parking area. After an easy walk through the meadows, we began the ascent toward the pond at Einangen. At this point, my partner started having second thoughts about continuing. She’s afraid of heights, and although we tried reading reviews and checking the map, it was hard to gauge the level of exposure since everyone experiences it differently.

I’m really glad we decided to carry on. We skipped the detour to the hytte, and the rest of the trail turned out to be not exposed at all. The final climb to the first summit, with its magnificent vista, was quite steep, and on a chilly summer day, it still managed to make me break a sweat. The view of Kvalvika Beach from the top is absolutely stunning.

There were plenty of people on the trail, but no queuing or crowding. All in all, a...

We did 3 hikes in Lofoten and agreed that this trail to Ryten was the most difficult one for us. The views were amazing though, both during the hike and at the top. Especially view to Kvalvika beach. The hike was quite challenging maybe due to the fact that there was a strong cold wind and a very steep ascent during 2nd part, closer to the summit. 1st part was challenging in a different way - wooden trail was very narrow and everyone had to stop and wait to let other people pass in the opposite direction all the time. Then, there were medium size random rocks and a steep part. Later, there was some bigger rock climbing which I found fun. The trail has many different parts, sometimes it's muddy. I definitely recommend this trail to anyone who has at least some experience in hiking. Bring some food and water, wear good shoes and dress in layers because the weather can be felt differently in different parts...

DO NOT ATTEMPT WITHOUT PROPER HIKING SHOES WITH TRACTION. Not worth going if there is fog on the mountain (no views and you could get lost). Park at the farm, enjoy the pizza after. Plan for 5+ hours round trip if you plan to trek down to the beach itself. Without that, about 1.5 hours one way to the main viewpoint.

Immediately rocky and steep. Muddy in parts. Incredible views but tricky ascent. Some parts require scaling rocks with the help of your hands. NOTE: Construction means the Kvalvika beach trail itself (by the second lake, near Ryten viewpoint) is CLOSED. There is another way through the grass, which transitions to stairs going down, but very steep. This section alone will take you an hour down, over an...