Photograph to comeCortijada Los Gázquez
Almería · Sleeps 1 or more
A wholly off-grid farmhouse retreat in the Sierra María-Los Vélez natural park, run on sun, wind and wood.
€
- Off-grid
- Solar-powered
- Dark skies
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Photographs by The Bolder, used with permission.
The Bolder
Lysefjord, Rogaland, Fjord Norway
Six off-grid cabins cantilevered above the Lysefjord, four of them by Snøhetta.
Why we love it
The Lysefjord is the one with Preikestolen on it — a flat slab of rock six hundred metres above the water that appears on roughly every poster Norway has ever printed. The Bolder puts you on the same fjord and above the crowds, in six cabins that hang off the hillside with nothing in front of them.
Two are Sky Lodges, cedar-wrapped cubes over two floors by John Birger Grytdal. The other four, the Star Lodges, are by Snøhetta and are set low into the terrain rather than on top of it. All six run off-grid, and the whole point of the design is that the ground underneath is barely touched.
Best for: the fjord view people fly to Norway for, without the queue for it
Worth knowing
- From 1 May to 30 September there is a two-night minimum on every lodge; single nights are sold only between 1 October and 30 April.
- No pets, in any of the lodges.
- You unload at the cabin and then move the car to the designated parking area 100 m back down the road.
The practicalities
- Check in
- 15:00, self check-in with a keypad code
- Check out
- 11:00
- Wifi
- Good
- Phone signal
- Good
- Bring
- Your own food and drink, or order a food package in advance
- Included
- Soft, high-quality linens and duvets
- Soft cotton towels and luxury toiletries from Sprekenhus
- A kitchen with fridge, induction cooktop, oven, Nespresso machine, tea kettle and utensils
Getting there
- Nearest station
- Stavanger
- Without a car
- Difficult, but possible
Ryfylkevegen 259, 4110 Forsand — about 40 minutes from Stavanger and 50 minutes from Stavanger Airport. The operator says the roads are well maintained and easy to navigate all the way to the lodges, a standard vehicle is sufficient, and for winter that a 4x4 is not necessary even with some snowfall. The nearest station is Stavanger, on the Sørlandsbanen. By bus it is the 100 from Stavanger to Jørpeland and then the 120 to Forsand; The Bolder sits between the Botne and Høllesli stops, both of which require a walk, and buses do not typically stop at the lodges. The operator also warns that its address may not always be located accurately in map systems.
What is around it
Walks
- Skjerajuvet — A marked trail starting at The Bolder: 2.4 km, an hour and a half, moderate, over Telenor-toppen to the gorge.
- Hatten — 4 km and two hours from The Bolder, moderate to demanding, with exposed sections.
- Lysefjord Panorama Trail — 9 km and 4–5 hours from The Bolder to Preikestolen BaseCamp; demanding, and the operator reckons it competes with Preikestolen.
Towns
- Stavanger — About 40 minutes by car.
Days out
- Preikestolen — The operator runs a guided 'Hidden Trail' route with a canoe ride, 9 km and 9–10 hours.
- Månafossen — The tallest waterfall in south-west Norway at 92 m; a five-hour guided day trip, 45 minutes' walk each way from the road.
- Preikestolen BaseCamp — About 15 minutes by taxi from The Bolder.
Who runs it
Tom Norland
Tom Norland is named on the site as the owner. His line is that The Bolder works with some of the best in architecture and design to give a highly curated experience, and the company's stated vision is that everything it does should be based on the idea that it can be done differently, better and for the good of nature and mankind.
Where it is
Checked August 2026 · We re-verify prices and opening every quarter.
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