Why Your Next Summer Getaway Should Be Above the Arctic Circle
It’s a perfect 70-degree day at the beach: turquoise water glimmers under a warm, unfettered sun. Verdant green peaks are flanked by ribbons of white sand. This kind of island paradise could easily be Hawaii, or the Caribbean; but instead, it is off the northwest coast of Norway, above the Arctic Circle.
Located on the island of Andøya, part of the Vesterålen archipelago, this idyllic place is further north than Reykjavik, Iceland; further north than St. Petersburg, Russia; further north than Anchorage, Alaska. In theory, this place should be covered in an ice sheet. But thanks to the Gulf Stream, the area’s climate is far milder than its northern neighbors. In fact, this region of Norway is the warmest place on earth at this latitude.
Vesterålen seems to be excepted from reality—a lush mirage in a landscape that should be cold and barren. The beautiful summer days are also exempt from another reality: night. The sun doesn’t set for two months—from May 23 to July 21—making summer one long day. (Which means: pack an eye mask.)
Aside from necessitating artificial darkness to sleep, the midnight sun has a broader effect on visitors’ sense of time. Cycles of light and darkness give structure to our days and relevance to timekeeping; but when it never gets dark, the clock and meaning of its hours is upended. To this end, the region garnered media attention in June 2019 when Sommarøy, a nearby island, moved to abolish conventional time-keeping altogether during the summer months. Although this was later revealed to be a publicity stunt coordinated by one of Norway’s tourism agencies, the sentiment behind it is authentic to the local way of life, in which business opening and closing times are all relative.
Another surprise? Summer—in its round-the-clock sunlit glory—is low season in this part of Norway. The region is a popular winter destination for tourists seeking aurora borealis, but summer is mainly for locals, climbers, car campers, and other adventurers. This makes some sense, given the notable lack of easy beach access, one of the hallmarks of summer tourism.