As we rode boats to the islands, the wind picked up. There are two parts to the Gothenburg Archipelago: the northern archipelago and the southern archipelago. If you see a group of islands, that’s called an archipelago. The ferries let you bring a car, so my mom, dog, and I went to the northern islands. There are no cars in the southern islands! In that case, the only ways to get there are on foot or by bike across the water. When the boat got close to the first island, rocks came out of the water. There are houses spread out on top of the rough ground. It made me wonder, “How can you have a garden?” But as we walked, we came across a place with a lush forest.
Northern Archipelago
We didn’t have to worry about anything when we got to the first island. It was crazy to see how close the houses are to each other and how some of them are built on rough ground. We saw one that was on a rocky cliff with a car parked on a very steep side in the yard. Ten large islands make up this group of islands near Gothenburg. For me, Roro is my best. There is a beautiful nature preserve! These are the islands we were able to see! Find out more about them here!
Öckerö
The sky turned dark and scary as we got to this island. There was a port café called Öckerö hamncafé that we found before it started to rain hard. In Swedish, the “O” in “Ockero” stands for “island.” This is the largest island, and more than 3,000 people live here all year. Norse kings owned these 10 islands during the time of the Vikings. A king built a house on Ockero because that’s where his ship was based most of the time in the 1300s. By the middle of the 1600s, though, it was part of Sweden.
This town felt friendly, but it wasn’t very big, even though it was on the biggest island. As we drove through town, we were amazed and started to imagine what life would be like on an island. There are great places to fish in this town, and people are friendly to visitors.
Hönö
I took a quick left and followed a sign. We had no plan here, so we will see where we end up. The clouds began clearing and we made it to a church with a cemetery that was well maintained and felt more like a garden. Connected to the cemetery is a hiking trail that leads you into a beautiful forest. The paths are flat and nicely taken care of. We walked through this maze of trees and found hidden gems. It brought us to the shoreline and a grill out spot. There were wild roses spread out and other wonderful wildflowers. A tranquil feeling washed over me as we hiked. What a magical place!
This is the island in the northern Gothenburg archipelago where you can go to do things like fishing and scuba diving. Hono is a famous island because it has lots of things to do, places to eat, and shops.
Fotö
The birds squawk and fly around, making it clear that they think this is their home. When I look into the clear water, I can see the bottom close to the shore. The fishing holes here make this a great place to visit. They have bridges, towers, and places to dive. This island is in the middle of the other islands, so it can get very busy in the summer. You’ll be able to see the houses spread out across the rocky island as you get there. There are more than 600 people living on the island.
Rörö
As we drove around Roro, we came across a nature area. The rocks that are spread out on the grass make it such a beautiful spot. Not far from the entrance is a beautiful beach with fine sand and rocks that are easily broken by the water. On this land, they keep sheep and other farm animals. Please be polite and shut the gates behind you. By far, my favorite island is this one! I thought we had driven into a story where a new adventure was waiting for us. This island might be perfect for you if you love nature. There are many trails through its nature areas, and the land has almost no trees, making it an interesting place to see in the wild.
Hälsö
A lot of people would love to visit this island because it has great places to swim and fish. In the northern part of the island, there is a rock that rises high above. You can walk up it to see a fortress far away. You could also take a swim on one of the most beautiful beaches. Many people like to go to Tjolmen, a beach on the southern side of the island. On the western side of the island, there’s even a great place to paddle!
Learn about the other Northern Archipelago islands here!
BjörkönnGrötö (car-free island) Kalvsund (car-free island) Hyppel (great place to hike) Källö-Knippla (old Bohus buildings) You can learn more about these islands at Gothenburg’s website.
Southern Archipelago
Check out the islands that don’t allow cars. They’re a great place to get away from the busy city streets. Take it easy and listen to the water hitting the shore. As you walk by some of the shops and restaurants, the wonderful smell of cooking food fills the air. The food here is great, so sit back and enjoy! Also, almost everywhere you look, there are beautiful views. In this group of islands near Gothenburg, you can go on nature walks or just swim or fish. It’s nice to get away from the stress of everyday life on these islands. Check out this page to learn more about the southern Gothenburg area. It helps you learn more about going from one beautiful island to another. Vastsverige.com has more information.
Best Season to Go
The air smells like flowers that have just opened. There were lots of plants where we hiked in the woods. They were spread out on the grass, and as the wind picked up, their bright colors stood out. In the summer, we went to the Gothenburg islands. In the end, we saw many different kinds of flowers and noticed that the islands were mostly green. Spring is another great time of year. But spring is the best time to come. At that point, the flowers start to bloom and new life starts to wake up in the desert. It’s not as cold as before. That’s right, mother nature is starting new life outside.
How to Get to the Northern Archipelago
To get to the 10 famous islands, take the ferry from Hisingen/Ockero and the Lilla Varholmen ferry terminal on highway 155. The ferry can take cars, buses, and bikes. It might take about 25 minutes to do this. Where you get on and off makes a difference. A lot of the islands can be reached by boat. You can use either of the two boats for free! Because of this, taking a car to the islands is a lot easier. Find out more and make sure that the virus hasn’t changed the times of the boats or buses that will take you where you’re going. It’s here at Västtrafik.
How to Get to the Southern Gothenburg Archipelago
As there are no cars in the southern islands, you will need to take a ferry to get there. You can get on a boat at one of two different places. You can go to Saltholmen or Stenpiren Travel Center. All boats that go to the southern islands are run by the Styrsobolaget company. You can use these all year, and they work just like any other way to get around. That means tickets that work on buses or trams also work on these boats. If there is room, you can bring your bike with you. If not, you can’t do it.
Ferry Schedule
It will take the Stenpiren boat about an hour and forty minutes to get to Vrångo. But check the timetable. This boat only leaves twice a day. The Saltholmen boat can be taken from the middle of Gothenburg. The boats run more often during the busy season. They can get to the bigger islands every hour. You can use Styrösbolaget‘s timetable to find out when the ships are leaving. You can change it to your language by having a converter in your search bar. This is where you can find that. Visit Västtrafik to get a ticket. If you only want to go for a day, you can read more about day tickets here.
Parking
The best ways to get to the southern islands are to walk, ride a bike, take the bus, or ride a tram. There are three places to park your car before getting on a boat, though, if you have one. It’s possible to park in the Saltholmen tourists’ lot, but it’s rarely empty. There are now only two choices left: Långedrag or Hinsjolmen. From these two spots, you can take a bus to Saltholmen, which is where the ferry is. Don’t forget that your tram ticket also works for the boat! There is an app in Gothenburg that lets you know if there are any spots open. Check it out and get it here for your iPhone or Android.
Bus
You can get to the ferry port by bus and then start your trip to the islands. From the main stop, there is Rod Express (Red Express), and from Hjalmar Brantingsplatsen, there is bus 24. Hono island can even be reached by bus. Get on bus 290 or 291 at the Nils Erisson gate. Be ready, though, because it stops a lot on the islands because both locals and tourists use it. To make the most of your trip on public transportation, you should make a journey plan. You can plan your trip that way on Västtrafik Travel Planning.
On foot or Biking
Hono and Bjorko both have places where you can rent bikes if you want to ride around. To get to the northern or southern archipelagos, you can take a boat or just fly. In the summer, it’s best to book a bike ahead of time if you want to go somewhere.
Learn more about Gothenburg Archipelago
You can learn even more about these lovely islands by going to Gothenburg’s website. You can find out about events or things to see on each island there.
Gothenburg Sights to See
There is a secret gem in the middle of the busy streets. Gothenburg Botanical Garden is close to the city center. The botanical garden here is one of the best in Europe. You can see trees from around the world as you walk through 430 acres of land. Read it here to find out more about the Botanical Garden in Gothenburg.
Other Adventures in Sweden
Do you like being outside and trying new things? Then you should check out Adventures in Sweden. The list breaks down a lot of the different things you can do and see outside. Find out about Sweden’s National Parks, Nature Reserves, kayaking, and other sports and nature in the wild. Take a look here!
[maxbutton id=”14″ ]
