Whichever way you read it, the setting is the same: low islands, skerries, fjord arms and snow-streaked mountains standing right up from the sea.
It helps to know that you are well north of the Arctic Circle, which the coast road crosses at the Helgeland ferry link near Jektvik. In midsummer the sun does not set at all in this latitude, and the light at midnight turns the water a pale, rosy gold. In winter the opposite is true, and the northern lights draw visitors to the coast. The weather swings between the two with little warning, and a cold wind off the Norwegian Sea can arrive on a sunny day.
The coastal road, the Kystriksveien, is one of the great slow rides of Europe. It threads along fjords, crosses on ferries and takes bridges between islands, with long bends and gentle gradients rather than hairpins. Ferries are part of the rhythm, and you should check timetables because they are not frequent, particularly outside summer. Just east of Bodø is Saltstraumen, where the tide forces enormous volumes of water through a narrow strait several times a day, producing whirlpools and one of the strongest tidal currents in the world. It is worth timing your visit for the changing of the tide.
Fishing is the old economy here. Cod, drying racks and old fishing stations tell the story, and the Lofoten stockfish trade that made Bergen rich started along this coast. You will see red and yellow houses on stilts at the water's edge, with boats pulled up beside them, and eagles circling above. Sea eagles are common, and you may spot one over the sound.
Fuel is thin on the ground in this part of Norway. Inndyr is small, and the reliable choice is Bodø, about twenty-two kilometres away, where you will find stations, cafes and shops. Fill up there and buy lunch, because small shops on the coast keep short hours.
Plan to finish with a meal of fresh fish in Bodø and a walk along the harbour in the late light.