Reine Rorbuer, Lofoten, Norway

Where it is

Reine sits towards the southern tip of the Lofoten islands, well north of the Arctic Circle, spread over small islets joined by bridges. Leknes airport is about an hour and a half by road, and car ferries link nearby Moskenes with Bodø on the mainland.

The E10 runs past the village to tiny Å at the end of the islands, with white beaches, fishing villages and trails all around. The Gulf Stream keeps the climate milder than the latitude suggests.

Cabins

The cabins are painted the classic Lofoten red, standing at the water's edge or on stilts above it. Inside they are snug and simple, with timber walls, comfortable beds and a kitchen of your own, and many have a terrace or window facing the harbour and peaks. Choose a smaller cabin for two.

Food and the rest

Facilities are those of a working fishing village: your own kitchen, a reception and a restaurant serving local seafood, especially the cod and stockfish Lofoten has traded for a thousand years. There is a small shop and cafés. Local operators run fjord boat trips, sea eagle safaris, kayaking, fishing and guided hikes.

The moment

A clear winter night, standing on the walkway outside your cabin as the Northern Lights ripple green over the peaks and reflect in the black water of the harbour. In summer, the same view glows under the midnight sun.

Why we chose it

Few places on earth are this dramatic, and the rorbuer let you live inside the postcard for a modest price. It suits independent travellers who are happy to self-cater and spend their days outdoors.

Combine it with Juvet Landscape Hotel in the fjords for a Norwegian journey from north to west.

When to go

Reine Rorbuer opens from February to October. The midnight sun lasts from late May to mid-July, the busiest and priciest time. September brings autumn colour, the first Northern Lights and far fewer people, and from September until the lodge closes, and again from February, the aurora is the draw. Late winter adds the cod fishery and drying racks of stockfish.

The longer stay

Give Lofoten at least four nights, and ideally a week with a car, to explore the islands from Reine to Henningsvær and walk a couple of the famous peaks. Flexible dates help: weather can change fast, and a spare day doubles your chance of the aurora.