Tripping the light fantastic: where to watch the Northern Lights

Places

Tripping the light fantastic: where to watch the Northern Lights

Get an eyeful at these dazzling destinations in Sweden, Iceland, Canada and Scotland.

Laura Holt

BY Laura Holt30 November 2017

Few natural wonders rival the sheer majesty of the Northern Lights. From iridescent greens to canary yellows and Prince-worthy purples, they rain down with predictable unpredictability every winter, pulling aurora hunters ever closer to the magnetic North Pole. Of course, there’s no guarantee of seeing them – that’s what makes them special – but you can put yourself in pole position with our guide to getaways that give you a ring-side seat of glimpsing the aurora. Prepare to be dazzled…

Hotel exterior in the midst of a snowy forest underneath the Northern Lights

OCTOLA PRIVATE WILDERNESS

Finnish Lapland

Not just a private cabin – with 12 bedrooms, only available for very exclusive use – Octola Private Wilderness offers what its name promises: a swathe of Finnish Lapland pine forest stretching over 400 acres just to yourself, so there’s no risk of any looky-loos horning in on your magical Northern Lights experience. Its off-grid – and off-Google Maps – serenity has attracted royals and celebs to this remote part of Rovaniemi, and built in the traditional laavu style of nomadic Lapp residences, it’s cosy as can be – but stylish, too, and luxuriously outfitted with a sauna (of course), spa area, indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs. But it’s not all soaking, steaming and looking in wonder at the sky – staff also have a roster of 78 activities for you to build an itinerary with, including husky sledding, tobogganing, salmon-fishing, campfire singalongs, and art workshops. Illuminating indeed.

Hotel exterior in the snow with the northern lights in the sky

ARCTIC TREEHOUSE HOTEL

Finnish Lapland

Also in Rovaniemi (where Santa really lives, don’tcha know?) is Arctic Treehouse Hotel, where blond-wood-lined stilted cabins face an expanse of forest and sky, hopeful for a glimpse of wispy green. But, even if the lights remain elusive, you won’t be disappointed as you try ice-fishing, reindeer-sledding, picnicking in the snow, riding in a heated and enclosed sleigh, nature walks in thick woollen socks, and Arctic floating. And, Rakas restaurant introduces you to the region’s more unique tastes: reindeer tartare with lingonberry mayonnaise, foraged-blueberry pie with spruce sorbet. And, there’s magic beyond the sky-light dancing at Christmas, with Santa’s Grotto within snow-shuffling distance, a nuclear shelter that’s been made decidedly more jolly for festive family getaways.

Treehotel, Swedish Lapland, Sweden

TREEHOTEL

Swedish Lapland

And trees are something of a theme… The seven otherworldly rooms at Treehotel, a stand-out retreat in Sweden’s Norrbotten County, are so distracting you might forget about the Northern Lights completely. But they are there – so climb up into your treetop perch and be on high alert. Deep in the forested, snow-draped folds of Swedish Lapland, you can sleep in a suspended, spherical UFO, a cabin-like Blue Cone or – our favourite for aurora hunters – the Mirrorcube, which has  reflective-glass walls and large windows on the cusp of a forest clearing. Among the hotel’s extensive winter pursuits, you can embark on a Northern Lights snowmobile safari and an aurora-themed photography tour.

Deplar Farm, Iceland

DEPLAR FARM

Iceland

The extraordinary, all-inclusive (like, literally, all) Deplar Farm is a turf-topped former sheep farm on Iceland’s far-flung Troll Peninsula. Fewer places bring luxury to such wilderness than here, especially in winter when you can watch the aurora straight from the lodge’s geothermal infinity pool. Seasonal activities range from heliskiing and ski touring to snowmobiling and whale watching in Iceland’s glassine fjords – there’s even an on-site ‘play room’ with all the necessary gear for outdoor pursuits. In truth, you could just be lazy – curl up in one of the country-style bedrooms, sit in the fire-warmed lounge, dine on meals of mountain lamb and Icelandic char – and you’d still have a chance of catching the light show.

Hotel exterior with reflection in the water

FOGO ISLAND INN

Canada

Off the crinkle-cut coast of Canada’s Newfoundland province, Fogo Island stands in complete isolation. Until recently, a scattering of fishermen’s huts and hardy caribou herds were all it had to recommend it. That is until 10 year ago when it became home to the landmark Fogo Island Inn – a stark, minimalist beauty designed by Newfoundland-architect Todd Saunders, which stares out across the Atlantic. Although the 60th parallel is the traditional frontline for the best Northern Lights’ displays, Fogo’s subarctic landscape and far-flung location renders it something of an anomaly. Go in November for the best chance of seeing the lights, and aim for the rooftop deck, where the hotel’s hot tubs are the place to settle in. You’ll be lucky to catch them, but if you don’t, the stargazing is sublime year-round and activities such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing and sledding provide ample distractions.

Brrr! Fancy stripping off somewhere a little hotter? Check out our pick of the best beach hotels in Europe

Featured image is Deplar Farm