Go Now for getting away from it all

THE DESTINATION: LOFOTEN ISLANDS Seals and whales aren’t the only ones making a splash in this remote fringe of chilly Arctic Norway, thanks to a smash hit TV show and its surfing competition. Wait a minute... surfing?!

The backdrops to the BBC’S lockdown thriller hit Twin were nearly as dramatic as its plot, meaning the Lofoten Islands can expect a lot of interest once normal service is resumed. Sitting off Norway’s north coast, about 170km north of the Arctic Circle, the archipelago is connected by a single road: the E10, which at its western point literally starts in a village called Å, weaves through tunnels and over bridges back towards the mainland. But Lofoten’s wild remoteness made it a suitable destination in which to sit out a global pandemic, even if it was just from your TV set.

Lofoten is also home to the world’s most northerly surf resort, Unstad, hosting an annual Lofoten Masters competition (24-27 Sept). But if Arctic surfing doesn’t appeal, you can kayak among otters between the islands, or hop in a boat and fish for mackerel and pollock, with the cod season running from January to April.

Travellers aren’t the only ones drawn by all that fish. Shoals of herring bring seals, humpback whales, large pods of pilot whales and up to 2,000 orca whales; autumn is the best season to see them. Minke whales also feast in the isle’s waters, although they’re harder to spot. However, Whale Safari Andenes (whalesafari.no) guarantees you’ll see a whale on one of its expedition, and if you don’t, you can join another for free. After a day out at sea, return to land for a meal of – you’ve guessed it – seafood. One local delicacy is stockfish: unsalted cod that’s left to dry on wooden racks, like bats sleeping in a cave. Pair your meal with hot mead or rose hip tea.

The Lofoten weather can be unpredictable, so don’t be surprised if you’re caught in horizontal rain one minute, only for the sun to break through the clouds the next. If you need to warm up, soak in glacial water heated in a badestamp, or traditional wood-fired bath; in winter months, Nusfjord Arctic Resort (nusfjordarcticresort.com) has an open-air spa overlooking Nusfjord harbour – the sort of craggily epic view of Lofoten that you can’t get on your TV set.

Stay there

Stay in a traditional fisherman’s hut. Eliassen Rorbuer is a community of renovated (cabins) on Hamnøy island near Å. From 1,290NOK/£110 for two; https://rorbuer.no

Northern star The dramatic mountains and peaks loom over the quiet archipelago