Best islands of the southern archipelago

Which island should you visit first?

Styrsö. It is central, easy to reach on two ferry lines, has cafés, places to stay and a bathing jetty near the pier, and from there you can continue to Vrångö or Brännö on the same day.

Styrsö is about an hour from the city centre by tram 11 and boat, and the stop at Bratten has a kiosk and food right by the pier. It is a good island to get a feel for the archipelago before you choose a favourite. If beaches are the whole point of your day, go straight to Vrångö; if you want a village to wander, go to Brännö. The table gives every inhabited island in the south with its ferry and what it does best. The city's tourist board lists the archipelago among Gothenburg's must-dos, and with islands this close, it is easy to see why.

Whichever island you pick, remember that the boats are public transport, not tours: there is no commentary and no guide, just a quick and easy ride. That is the point. If you would like a guide, see the tours on the homepage.

Which island has the best beaches?

Vrångö. Many people call it the archipelago's best island for swimming, with fine sandy coves such as Mittvik near the ferry and Nötholmen. Styrsö Bratten is the easiest swim of all, 300 m from the ferry stop.

Vrångö's sandy coves are shallow, sheltered and calm, which makes them some of the archipelago's safest and most relaxing places to swim, and ideal for children. There is also a fine sand beach just south of the ferry terminal. On a hot weekend, walk ten minutes further and the crowds thin out.

Elsewhere, the archipelago is mostly smooth granite rather than sand, and that is a pleasure of its own: warm rock to lie on, clear water and a ladder or steps for getting in. Styrsö Bratten combines both, with a small sandy shore and a jetty with steps. Styrsö's Sandvik and Uttervik are sheltered bays where the water warms up quickly on sunny days.

Where can you go swimming in the southern archipelago?

At Styrsö Bratten, Styrsö Uttervik and Sandvik, Vrångö Mittvik and Nötholmen, Brännö Ramsdal, Donsö Lökholmen and Asperö. The island beaches are tested by the city every summer, and the water is usually around 17 to 18 °C by August.

• Styrsö Bratten: an EU-designated bathing beach with top water-quality marks, a jetty with steps and a sandy shore 300 m from the ferry stop. It is a safe, easy swim for families, with an accessible toilet in high summer.
• Styrsö Sandvik and Uttervik: sheltered bays where the water warms up quickly on sunny days.
• Vrångö Mittvik and Nötholmen: shallow, sheltered sandy coves.
• Brännö Ramsdal: smooth rocks, a small beach and a pier with steps for easy entry.
• Donsö Lökholmen and Asperö: both monitored bathing sites, quieter than Styrsö and Vrångö.

Swim in the bays, not in the ferry channel, where currents run stronger. The sea is at its most pleasant in August, because water warms more slowly than land. If you would rather swim from a boat, the archipelago sauna boat anchors in a calm bay for a wood-fired sauna and a sea dip; it is priced for a group and suits six to eight people. For the warmest month and the summer timetable, see the ferry guide.

What is Brännö known for?

Its summer pier dances, its maritime heritage and its quiet village lanes without cars. Brännö has two ferry stops, Rödsten and Husvik, and the Galterö nature reserve lies just to the west.

On summer Thursday evenings in July, people dance on the pier at Brännö Husvik, looking out to sea and Vinga, and an evening boat brings them home; check the season before you go, as it only runs in high summer. The rest of the year Brännö is a peaceful island of several hundred year-round residents, with Brännö Värdshus, an inn, and the shop Brännö handel in the middle of the island. Rödsten on line 283 is the quicker stop from Saltholmen, about 20 minutes; Husvik on line 282 takes about 50 minutes. The walk between the two takes about 30 minutes.

West of Brännö, Galterö is a nature reserve of mostly undeveloped outer archipelago: heath, bare granite, grazing sheep and seabirds. The Brännö and Galterö guided hike with fika is the one tour on this site that walks on the islands. It is a new listing with no reviews yet, lasts 8 hours in the listing and covers 12 to 18 km on uneven ground, with fika at the end. Getting to the ferry terminal is not included, and it is not suitable for strollers.

Walk the quiet lanes of Brännö and the uninhabited Galterö nature reserve with a guide: heath, granite, sheep, seabirds and maybe a seal, 12 to 18 km, with fika at the end. A new listing, no reviews yet.

New listing · 8 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the guided Brännö and Galterö hike →

What is Vrångö like?

Wild and sandy. Vrångö is the southernmost island inhabited all year, with fewer than 400 residents, sandy coves and a large nature reserve with three marked loops of 2 to 3 km each, including the accessible Tärnstigen.

The Vrångö archipelago nature reserve was founded in 1979 and covers about 5,184 hectares of rocky shores, heather moorland and open sea. More than 60 bird species breed there, and the Bronze Age cairn Store rös sits on the high ground. Grey seals haul out on the skerries in the south of the reserve, so bring binoculars; seals are often seen, never promised. Some seal and bird zones have landing bans at certain times of year, so keep your distance if you are on the water.

• Trails: three marked loops of 2 to 3 km, including Tärnstigen, which is accessible.
• Food: Fiskeboa in the west harbour serves fresh prawns in season.
• Kayaks: sea kayak rental on Vrångö runs all year.
• Reserve rules: dogs on a leash, no camping, fires only in designated places.

From the city centre, plan on about an hour door to door.

What is there to do on Styrsö?

Swim at Bratten, Sandvik or Uttervik, climb Stora Rös for the view, and walk between the two ferry stops, Bratten and Tången. Styrsö is the hub of the southern islands, with about 1,400 residents.

Styrsö has cafés, restaurants and places to stay, and enough lanes and paths for a half-day walk. Land at Bratten, swim at the bathing jetty a few minutes away, then cross the island on foot to Tången and take a later boat from there. Stora Rös, the highest point, gives a view across the islands to the open sea. Uttervik and Sandvik are the sheltered bays for a quieter swim. Most visitors explore Styrsö on foot; you can bring a bike on the boat when there is space.

If you would like to see Styrsö from the water first, the archipelago cruise with a live guide (4.4 from 1,510 reviews) passes among the southern islands on the M/S S:t Erik, and the shrimp and salmon buffet evening cruise (4.7 from 14 reviews) passes Styrsö, Donsö and Brännö over three hours with a welcome drink and a live troubadour. Neither one lands, so come back by ferry for the beaches.

Which smaller islands are worth a stop?

Asperö for a quick swim close to the city, Köpstadsö for its tiny village, Donsö for cafés and a working harbour feel, and Knarrholmen and Stora Förö for quiet. All are on the same Västtrafik ticket.

• Asperö: a small island with good bays and swimming spots, only 6 to 10 minutes from Saltholmen on line 283. Ideal if you have an afternoon.
• Köpstadsö: called Kössö, a tiny island of winding paths where residents move their goods by hand cart. It is the first stop on lines 281 and 282.
• Donsö: on line 281, with cafés, restaurants, places to stay and the bathing site at Lökholmen.
• Knarrholmen: on line 284, with a café or restaurant and places to stay.
• Stora Förö: also on line 284, mostly undeveloped island landscape, joined to Lilla Förö by a narrow neck of land.

Vargö, between Styrsö and Brännö, has a stop on some trips of line 282. In the evening, the evening sailing tour with Swedish fika (5.0 from 5 reviews) takes a small group out from Stenpiren among the islands and anchors in a quiet bay for coffee and a cinnamon bun, without going ashore.

Can you stay overnight on the islands?

Yes. There are places to stay on Donsö, Knarrholmen, Styrsö and Vrångö, and Brännö Värdshus is an inn on Brännö. Wild camping follows allemansrätten, but it is not allowed in the Vrångö nature reserve.

A night on an island changes the trip: the day visitors leave on the evening boats, the light softens and you have the rocks to yourself. Book well ahead for summer weekends, and check the last and first boats, as departures are fewer in the evening and early morning.

Allemansrätten, the right of public access, lets everyone walk, swim and spend time in Swedish nature, as long as you do not disturb and do not destroy. It normally allows one night of camping in one spot, but nature reserves such as Vrångö have their own rules that come first. For a seafood evening on the water instead, the shrimp and salmon buffet cruise leaves from Lilla Bommen; boarding starts 20 minutes before departure. For a day that mixes the city with the islands, see Gothenburg in one day.

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