VIDEO: Island Hopping in the Swedish Archipelago

When I was visiting Gothenburg for the third time, I needed some new experiences. Looking for things to try, I found out there is a group of islands right off the coast, easily reached by cheap, public transportation. Photos convinced me this had to be a good choice.

With many islands to choose from, and thereby many ferries that arrive and depart at different times, the clue is to find the route that fits the best. So you don’t have neither too much nor too little time on an island, and that you, of course, get to visit the islands that sound the most appealing to you. As we were doing this on a Sunday, the number of ferry departures were less. In the end we decided on going Styrsö – Donsö – Vrångö. We wanted to visit Brännö too, but due to the ferry times we unfortunately had to skip it.

The Ferries

Västtrafik is the company that runs the ferries going back and forth. Fairly big ferries with mostly indoor seating, just a few seats outside. We were lucky enough to score two of the last vacant spots out on deck, on the way out when the weather was suitable for that. On the way back we sat inside as the rain started pouring down. There is also a kiosk onboard, if you are in need refreshments.

The ferries to this part of the archipelago leave from the harbour in Saltholmen, which is a 30 minute tram ride from downtown Gothenburg. You’re dropped off at what looks like a car park. Follow the “hoards” of people, and you’ll find the ferry terminal, where you can get tickets. Alternatively, buy a day pass, as we did from one of the outlets in town.

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Styrsö

Our first island was Styrsö. We got off at the Bratten stop. Not knowing how much time it would take to walk to the bridge crossing over to Donsö, cross the bridge itself, and from there to the ferry port on Donsö, and not be willing, or could afford, to miss the ferry we had planned on taking to Vrångö, we decided to not head into the village, in the opposite direction of where we needed to go, but rather walk the “right” way and do some detours into the woods on some of the many trails that looked to criss cross the island. Due to this decision we might not have seen the main settlement, but we did spot a few remarkable things still. Like locals sporting the island mode of transportation, golf carts, and other kinds of trucks, even carrying what looked like a refrigerator 😀 And the mating seagulls, which I caught on tape (needs to be viewed with sound on), and which reminded me more of a #metoo incident… I guess nature can be cruel. Our planned detour into the woods, quickly became a no no, when my friend got stung by something, freaked out, and decided she wasn’t going in there 😀 Instead we continued past the bridge towards the second ferry stop on the island, Skäret, before we turned around and headed back to the bridge and crossed over to Donsö. We could also spot a few accommodation options, which I actually had looked into before travelling to Gothenburg, if you’d like to stay here instead of in town. Ferry ride from Styrsö to Saltholmen is about 20 minutes or so.

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Donsö

After crossing the bridge from Styrsö, we could set foot on the next island on your archipelago adventure, Donsö. On this island we headed into town, as this is where the ferry stop is, and we didn’t see much else on our way. Here we found a grocery store, and needing something to drink, we filled up on refreshments, and took a seat outside at one of the bench and table setups, just enjoying village life, like the houses with names on them. If you look closely the house pictured has the name Beatas on it, meaning the house of Beata, which is the closest I’ll ever get to my name, Beathe 😀 And then there is the husband, wife, dog on a moped combo. Just love it all!

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Vrångö

The last stop was on the island Vrångö. When we got off the ferry we spotted a restaurant right there at the dock, so we decided to explore the island first, and then go back to get something to eat, before going on the ferry again, back to the city. Just like everyone else who landed on the island… It quickly became clear that all the visitors had the same goal in mind, the small lookout hut on top of the biggest hill on the island. A cute little thing. How you get up there is kinda up to you. I headed towards climbing the rocks, with my friend in tow. On the way back down it turned out there were wooden staircases to use 😀 Well, we didn’t break anything, and going off road is a lot more fun 😀 From the hilltop you’ll have a nice view of the village, the sea and the archipelago. I even climbed the rock on top of the hill to get an even nicer view 🙂 After making our way back down, a bit hungry we headed for the cafe we had spotted on arrival, only to realise so had everybody else, could have something to do with the fact that the clouds were gathering and rain was on the horizon. Not being any vacant tables at the cafe, I settled for an ice cream from the ice cream bar next door. As the ferry departure approached there were people coming from all directions, looked like many had spent the whole day there. Needless to say there were lots people waiting to go back. So much that it appeared they had to get an extra ferry, to bring everybody back home. As we left the skies opened up, and the rain poured down, just in the nick of time. Another 20 minutes and we were back at the Saltholmen terminal.

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