Vesterålen

Vesterålen is often visited as an extension of a Lofoten trip and frequently overlooked in favour of the more dramatic southern archipelago. This is a mistake. The islands have exceptional whale watching — sperm whales feed in the deep waters offshore and come close enough to shore that RIB tours are reliable — and some of the largest seabird colonies in Northern Europe. The landscape is softer and greener than Lofoten's, which means it attracts fewer Instagram pilgrims and more people who actually want to see whales.