Why I don’t go to Uttakleiv

There’s no doubt that Uttakleiv is a beautiful spot. The view across the rocky beach, especially with a dramatic Arctic sky overhead, has made it one of the most photographed locations in Lofoten. But despite its natural charm, there’s one thing that has made me stop going altogether—and it’s not the weather, or the crowds, or the hike. It’s the parking.

For years, Uttakleiv has been plagued by a parking situation that feels more like a trap than a system. It started with an old payment machine, the kind that never quite worked reliably. I once had the landowner speed up the gravel road behind me just to make sure I paid as I entered. It felt more like surveillance than stewardship. That machine was eventually replaced with an ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) system, which you’d think would improve things. It hasn’t.

Now, when you drive into Uttakleiv, the system reads your plate and should allow you to pay via a website. The problem is, the website never shows my entry. Not once. And trust me, I’ve tried. Many times, with many different vehicles registered in the website. I've gone through the process like any law-abiding driver should—only to be met with silence from the system. Then, several weeks later, a fine shows up in the post.

The last time I went, the fine took so long to arrive that by the time I got it, the payment date had passed. The result? A 7.02kr interest charge… plus a 100kr admin fee. All because their own system failed to do what it was supposed to.

It’s not just me. A local rental car company I know has a stack of fines from tourists who innocently drove in, tried to pay, and couldn’t. The system is broken—and instead of being fixed, it's being exploited.

So here’s the thing: as someone who runs a guiding company with paying customers from all over the world, I refuse to bring them to a place where they risk being unfairly fined simply for showing up. I won’t knowingly expose my guests to a process that’s unpredictable, opaque, and frankly, not visitor-friendly.

Uttakleiv may be stunning, but it’s no longer on my itinerary. There are plenty of incredible places in Lofoten where you can enjoy the landscape without the anxiety of an invoice arriving a month later. Nature should be accessible and welcoming—not a source of bureaucratic frustration.

Until the system changes, Uttakleiv is off the list.