Øksfjord: Trails, Fjord and Coastal Fort

If you’re looking for a hotel in Øksfjord, the activities available locally can help shape your travel plans: in summer, marked Perletur trails and routes to the pier take centre stage; in winter, skiing opportunities. There is also a wheelchair-accessible path at Vassdalsvatnet and visible remains of a coastal fort.

Summer and winter trails in Øksfjord

In summer, the Øksfjord local hiking area has five Perletur trails, plus another Perletur to the pier. The Perletur to Rássevággi/Grasdalsvatnet can be hiked from Platået or Vassdalen; both routes are signposted and marked. This gives you two named starting points for the hike.

In winter, the area offers skiing opportunities, including groomed tracks in Vassdalen and routes along Vassdalsvatnet. Summer and winter activities therefore have different focuses: hiking routes in summer and skiing in winter.

The pier in Øksfjord is a place to go fishing and walking. A municipal notice from April 2025 describes it as a popular meeting place for these activities; in summer, a Perletur also leads there.

Getting around and places for leisure

Ferries connect Øksfjord with the other settlements in Loppa municipality. If you plan to use one of these connections during your trip, check the timetable in advance. The inner waters of the Øksfjord also serve as a transport route to hiking areas on the fjord’s roadless side and towards Øksfjordjøkelen.

At Vassdalsvatnet, a wheelchair-accessible path leads about 200 metres from the car park to a fire pit and shelter. Vassdalsfjæra in Øksfjord has a children’s playground and a fire pit. These are two different places, each with its own facilities.

Traces of history

Remains of the coastal fort built by the Germans during the war, starting in 1941, can be seen on Ystnesholmen. What remains includes walls, foundations of gun emplacements and buildings, and underground passages. In spring 1944, the installation was blown up and moved to Justholmen in Lofoten. The visible remains give the visit a tangible historical dimension, distinct from the seasonal hiking and skiing opportunities.

More perspectives on the Loppa destination

The wider Loppa destination offers other hiking and cultural experiences. In summer, the landscape in Øksfjordbotn is used for hiking and cycling, and as a starting area for longer mountain hikes. The restored Gammelvegen is also located there: the 1.3-kilometre-long road was built between 1905 and 1910.

On Loppa øy, the Perletur trail to Rektinden reaches 280 metres above sea level; Kollaren is used for summit hikes. The hike to Breitinden on the south side of Rivgojávri/Jomfrudalsvatnet is described as a different challenge: it is considered very demanding. In the 2026 programme, Perletur routes in Loppa range from easy green to very demanding black; blue and red routes are rated easy to moderately difficult, although ratings may change with the route lists.

Alperocken is also part of the cultural offering across the wider Loppa destination: the music festival takes place every year in July. The exact dates vary, so check the dates for the year of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Sandland, Storvik, Loppa.

Go to the wider travel overview: Loppa.