July 12 2024

Stockholm’s Archipelago – A Treasure Hidden In Plain Sight

around.the.world.in.flip.flops Scandinavia, Sweden 0

When people travel to Sweden, they usually expect to see the beautiful capital city of Stockholm, the breathtaking Aurora Borealis up in Lappland or the unspoiled nature that Sweden has to offer everywhere in the country.

One thing that people often miss is that Stockholm has an amazing archipelago composed by thousands of islands and islets waiting to be explored. On many of the islands, there is just peaceful Nature to discover, since they are not inhabited; while many other islands in the archipelago are filled with picturesque swedish cottages composing tiny towns that are a pleasure to explore.

If you have a couple of extra days available during your trip to Stockholm and want to experience true Swedish charm, let me introduce you to 3 magical places in the archipelago.

Grinda

Visiting Grinda feels like stopping the World for a moment. Going to that island was such a weird but wonderful experience for me: it felt like I was standing isolated in the middle of nowhere, which felt so peaceful and magical.

If you take the fastest boat, you can go all the way from Strandvägen (Stockholm) to Grinda in less than 2 hours and the boat ride won’t be a waste of time at all. On the way, people will get the opportunity to see many islands of the archipelago and all the beautiful houses, docks and boats that make the area so charming and unique.

Get your boat tickets here ⛴️

When you finally come to the island of Grinda, you will find unspoiled Nature that allows guests to truly unwind and be in the moment. With forests, meadows and water all around, Grinda is an incredibly peaceful place to explore.

The island of Grinda is a beautifully isolated place to explore in Stockholm’s archipelago

There are several places to stay on the island, if you want to spend the night. Apart from a hotel, there is also a cabin village composed of 27 cabins with privileged water access, a lodge and even a campsite.

Book your Grinda accommodation here 🏡

With delicious food available at Grinda Wärdshus Restaurant (considered the best archipelago restaurant several times), saunas available for rent and water always close by for a swim during the long summer evenings, spending a night in Grinda is one of the most special experiences that nature lovers can have in Stockholm’s archipelago.

While on the island, guests can do anything from just relaxing on cliffs while soaking in the sun, to kayaking around the island in a breathtaking archipelago experience, to playing sports or enjoying long walks in the woods – the possibilities on Grinda island are endless if you are interested in exploring the Nature of Stockholm’s archipelago.

Grinda is such a special place to visit in Stockholm’s archipelago

Make sure to check their website before you go, to stay on top of all the fun events and activities available at different times.

Gällnö

Gällnö is another beautifully isolated island in Stockholm’s archipelago that will make you feel like you arrived at the most peaceful place on the planet.

About 1 hour and a half away from Stockholm, Gällnö is well worth a visit if you are looking to explore the swedish Nature that the archipelago is famous for. A bonus is that, just like in Grinda’s case, the boat ride gives passengers the chance to see the archipelago’s unique buildings on the cliffs and the beautiful sailing boats constantly passing by on beautiful summer days. It truly is fair to say that the boat ride to Gällnö is half the fun.

Get your boat tickets here ⛴️

Views on the boat ride to Gällnö

When you arrive to Gällnö, the first thing you will see is the picturesque red wooden building that serves as the waiting room for boat passengers. With old items left a bit everywhere in a truly rustic way and a big sign stating the name of the island, it is a perfect welcoming card to the island.

Grinda is one of my favorite islands in Stockholm’s archipelago

Way less touristic than Vaxholm and many other islands of the archipelago, Gällnö is known to be much more genuine and a perfect place to experience the true archipelago that still hasn’t quite been found by the masses.

At the island there is one café, one store and a bar, making it a perfectly balanced island for visitors who want to enjoy Nature and relax but still wish to have some services available.

For visitors who are interested in spending the night on the island of Gällnö, there is a hostel in the charming building dating back to 1904, which used to function as the island’s school up to the 1960s.

Another available option for those wanting to sleep on the island is the archipelago’s smallest hotel: Hotel Frans August – with only one room!

The third option for those looking for accomodation on the island is the most original one: 3 small houses on wheels. These wagons are the perfect choice for an unforgettable stay in Stockholm’s archipelago. The first one they built is called Fransvagnen and at about 2 square meters, all that can fit is a bed and it’s the smallest accommodation in the whole archipelago. But what’s even more special about it is that guests are free to open the side of the cabin in order to enjoy the peaceful Nature around. Be aware that they are only avaialable from Midsummer to mid-August though.

Book your hostel stay 🛏️

The archipelago's smallest hotel 📍

Sleep in a wagon 💤

For visitors who are visiting just for the day, the best way to enjoy the island is to simply walk around and discover the charming places that Gällnö has to offer at every corner. If you are visiting during the summer season, you will find families out having fun in the water and in nature to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts.

During the high season you can even head to Gällnö Bar and have some delicious food by the water, or pass by Gällnö‘s cute trading booth and buy anything from fruit, fresh bread, dairy and even fish and meat. This is how alive the Stockholm archipelago is during the summer months.

If you are visiting off season though, you will find a totally different reality. Few people live on the island all-year round and the tourists have mostly disappeared by then too. Whatever food options you have during the summer might not be available anymore either, so pack a picnic and relax on the meadow while you enjoy the secluded swedish nature around you – it‘s the perfect opportunity to take a break from society.

When you feel like you are done exploring this unique place in Stockholm’s archipelago, it will be time to head back to the boat pier to embark on the beautiful ride back to Stockholm.

📣 REMEMBER: Make sure that you are there on time or you might be stuck for the evening. Boats don’t really stop by so often when you are that isolated, so make sure to check the links below and decide which boat you are taking to go back to Stockholm.

Cinderella boats ⛴️

Waxholmsbolaget ⛴️

Sandhamn

For those looking for another beautiful and popular destination in Stockholm’s archipelago, Sandhamn is a great place to add to your list.

With boats departing from either Stockholm’s city center or Stavsnäs, it is quite easy to get to Sandhamn, especially during the summer months when the boats run more frequently. In under 2 hours, you can go all the way out to the archipelago and enjoy the experience of being almost completely out in the Baltic Sea. Are you up for an adventure? Let’s go!

First of all, and just like I wrote previously, a trip to an island out in Stockholm’s archipelago is worth it because of way more than just the island visit itself. Being on the boat and seeing the archipelago passing you by as you make your way out to some isolated island of your choosing, is half the experience. Take this opportunity to experience a swedish Fika from the boat‘s cafe as well and relax while you travel to Sandhamn.

Get your boat tickets here ⛴️

On your trip to Sandhamn you will go through narrow passages between the islands, seeing picturesque colorful houses perched on the cliffs that characterize the archipelago, and you will fall in love with the place way before you even arrived at the island you are going to explore.

When you finally arrive in Sandhamn, you will understand why it truly is a pearl of Stockholm’s archipelago. Just as popular as Vaxholm, but much more further out, visitors going to Sandhamn have the opportunity to see and experience one of the most beautiful islands of the whole archipelago.

Beautiful views when arriving to Sandhamn island in Stockholm’s archipelago

For people visiting during the summer months, the island will be lively and full of people who come on their sailing boats to enjoy their much deserved vacations away from city stress. For those who visit the island during low season, it will be hibernating – like pretty much everything else in Sweden – but still extremely beautiful.

I visited when the summer season had already passed and Autumn had slowly started. In a way, it felt even more exotic to visit such a gorgeous place when all the crowds were gone. It felt like we had the island for ourselves, which is a truly special feeling.

Arriving in Sandhamn, visitors are greeted by a wooden pier right next to the city’s marina where plenty of boats are parked, making it one of the best views available on the island. With some charming shops across the street and a kiosk right at the pier, it is a perfect place to sit and enjoy the surroundings.

When you want to move on and start exploring the island, walk West alongside the water and eventually you will reach a beautiful place next to the popular restaurant Pentaboden, where you will find several red wooden houses, one of them being Sandhamn’s Museum. It was founded by a group of enthuasiasts in 1966 and it’s open daily only during high season, allowing visitors to learn more about life on the island. Even when it is closed, it still makes for great pictures of how rustically charming Sandhamn is. A bonus is that you will get the chance to take in privileged views of Sandhamn’s skyline from there, making it an amazing spot for pictures of the city.

Sandhamn’s museum is located in a very picturesque red wooden house

After that, it’s all about walking around and seeing what you find.

Do you know the song that goes “Where the streets have no names”? That’s Sandhamn in a nutshel. While the main streets are named, smaller ones aren’t. So much so that the buildings located alongside those streets don’t have an address like we have come to know them – they are simply numbered.

As weird as it sounds, it makes for the perfect atmosphere to simply walk around and discover the island‘s beautiful houses, streets, corners and beaches.

The streets of Sandhamn are full of traditional red wooden houses

But, if you’re feeling like you would just walk around aimlessly without being able to enjoy the island, don’t despair. There are some places of interest to use as reference points.

Kvarnberget is a popular cliff where visitors can enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding streets of Sandhamn. From there it is also possible to see the water, the boats passing by, the surrounding islands and the Fläskberget beach where many people usually do kitesurfing.

Kvarnberget is the perfect place to get a good view of Sandhamn

Heading back to the unnamed streets, visitors can reach the popular bathing place Fläskberget: a beach where both locals and tourists love to soak in the sun when the weather allows for it. Even when the weather is no longer so warm, like in September when I visited, there were still people out there doing water sports.

The beaches of Sandhamn are great for swimming in summer and doing water sports in winter

For those willing to climb a bit, there is a charming white chapel – Sandhamns Kapell – from 1935, on the island’s highest point.

On the other side of the island, visitors can find another beautiful spot called Dansberget (Swedish for “Dancing Hill”). It was once a place where the locals gathered for dances, hence the name, and nowadays it’s a wonderful viewpoint where visitors can admire a big anchor as well as the sweeping of the sea and the archipelago around.

Get beautiful views of the archipelago from Dansberget

These are just some of the many islands worth visiting in Stockholm’s archipelago. With many more out there to be explored and unbelievable experiences waiting to be lived in the swedish nature, I hope this post made you want to explore the beauty of Stockholm’s archipelago on your future trips to Sweden.

Check this tour if you would like to see the archipelago from the water on a boat trip from Stockholm: