Sweden's northern archipelago lies off the coast of Gothenburg, boasting over 260,000 islands, many too small to make it onto any map, according to the Swedish mapping office, Lantmäteriet's definition of an island as anything more than 9 square meters. However, for this journalist, the only requirement is that the land mass be large enough to pitch a small tent.
The Gothenburg archipelago, also known as Skärgården, stretches over 200 miles (320 kilometers) along Sweden's west coast. Its maze of tiny islands and bays is more than just picturesque; it offers an enchanting experience for those willing to get lost in its winding trails.
This reporter set out on a journey to explore the archipelago with local expert Jennie Walker, who had coached him beforehand in the geography of the area, but warned that local kids were terrified of Öckerö's old church due to its haunting ceiling frescoes depicting hell and its subsequent salvation. A visit to this mysterious island was at the top of my agenda.
My first stop on this journey was Fotö, a southernmost island with an adventure playground of massive boulders. After paddling through the straits between two small rocky islands, I discovered why the relatively short distances could take time – you are lost in the vast maze of its rugged coastline.
After completing a couple of hours' kayaking trip with Lasse, a computer expert turned sailor who takes visitors on his veteran fishing vessel out to Vinga, a historic island that was once home to Evert Taube, one of Sweden's great folk music balladeers, I walked around the quiet island of Hönö, where Andreas Lundqvist, local climber, told me stories about growing up on these islands and subsequent adventures.
To explore further, the Västtrafik app made ferry travel simple and reliable. The weather had turned from blue skies to thick mist as I reached Rörö, my final destination. As I squelched through bogs and scrambled over lichen-crusted boulders, I stumbled upon wild ponies.
A visit to the old church on Öckerö was high on my agenda but there were warnings about its reputation due to its ceiling frescoes – a painted hell with demons and sinners sinking into scarlet flames. The rear of the church roof is a barrel-vaulted timbers, torturing sinners who are sinking into scarlet flames. But then a suspended sailing ship points the way to salvation, the colours lighten, and by the time I reach the altar, everyone is floating on clouds and blowing trumpets.
Eventually, I dragged myself away, texted the verger and, after just a couple of bus rides and a ferry, stepped down in Gothenburg, still feeling dazed as if I'd been somewhere very far away indeed.
The Gothenburg archipelago, also known as Skärgården, stretches over 200 miles (320 kilometers) along Sweden's west coast. Its maze of tiny islands and bays is more than just picturesque; it offers an enchanting experience for those willing to get lost in its winding trails.
This reporter set out on a journey to explore the archipelago with local expert Jennie Walker, who had coached him beforehand in the geography of the area, but warned that local kids were terrified of Öckerö's old church due to its haunting ceiling frescoes depicting hell and its subsequent salvation. A visit to this mysterious island was at the top of my agenda.
My first stop on this journey was Fotö, a southernmost island with an adventure playground of massive boulders. After paddling through the straits between two small rocky islands, I discovered why the relatively short distances could take time – you are lost in the vast maze of its rugged coastline.
After completing a couple of hours' kayaking trip with Lasse, a computer expert turned sailor who takes visitors on his veteran fishing vessel out to Vinga, a historic island that was once home to Evert Taube, one of Sweden's great folk music balladeers, I walked around the quiet island of Hönö, where Andreas Lundqvist, local climber, told me stories about growing up on these islands and subsequent adventures.
To explore further, the Västtrafik app made ferry travel simple and reliable. The weather had turned from blue skies to thick mist as I reached Rörö, my final destination. As I squelched through bogs and scrambled over lichen-crusted boulders, I stumbled upon wild ponies.
A visit to the old church on Öckerö was high on my agenda but there were warnings about its reputation due to its ceiling frescoes – a painted hell with demons and sinners sinking into scarlet flames. The rear of the church roof is a barrel-vaulted timbers, torturing sinners who are sinking into scarlet flames. But then a suspended sailing ship points the way to salvation, the colours lighten, and by the time I reach the altar, everyone is floating on clouds and blowing trumpets.
Eventually, I dragged myself away, texted the verger and, after just a couple of bus rides and a ferry, stepped down in Gothenburg, still feeling dazed as if I'd been somewhere very far away indeed.
i was thinking about getting a kayak but it costs like 1000 dollars lol what's the point of all these islands tho? are they even inhabited 
anyway i saw some wild ponies on one of the islands and that was super cool 
i kayaked through all these tiny islands and it was SO worth it 
i saw this one island with a boat graveyard and it was literally covered in old boats 
but what really freaked me out was Öckerö's church it had these super creepy ceiling frescoes showing hell and demons 
but the weather got pretty bad at the end of my trip 
still can't stop thinking about those wild ponies tho 
! The Swedish archipelago is literally a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts 
! The maze-like islands and bays offer endless opportunities for exploration and adventure, whether you're kayaking, hiking or just chillin' on a scenic beach 
. And let's talk about the Västtrafik app - game-changer 
! I'm all about making travel planning seamless and easy-peasy. The fact that you can use the app to plan your ferry route is a total win 
. Oh, and have you heard of Öckerö's old church? Apparently it's got some pretty intense ceiling frescoes... like, literally whoa 
!
paddling through the straits between two small rocky islands sounds like an exhilarating experience - i need to try that ASAP! 
. wild ponies? that's just the cherry on top! 
. And kayaking through those straits sounds soooo epic 
! The Västtrafik app made ferry travel super easy & reliable, yay for tech 
! Wild ponies? Yes, please 
, I'm all about that island life 
. Sweden's got some amazing scenery, you're a lucky dude to have explored it 
#IslandLife #SwedenAdventures #Kayaking #FerryTravel #WildPonies
and it was literally a nightmare... went kayaking in skärgården and got lost for like 2 hours 
my phone had no signal btw... meanwhile, weather forecast says that sweden's going to be hit by another polar vortex event next month 
sounds fun
I mean, 260k islands but only if you're like "meh, anything bigger than 9 sq meters" 
, and then there's this one guy saying he just pitches a tent wherever? 
️ That's so weird. I love how Sweden is all about embracing the wilderness though 
. On the other hand, what even is with Öckerö's church? 
those ceiling frescoes are either super art or super messed up? 
260k+ and most of them are super tiny 
anyway, i'm totally jealous that u got to explore Öckerö old church - those ceiling frescoes sound so spooky 
and have you ever tried kayaking through all those islands? it sounds like such a rush, getting lost in the maze of coastline 
but yeah i can see why some people might be scared of that old church on Öckerö its ceiling frescoes do sound pretty intense 
I'm so jealous of this guy's adventure in Sweden's Gothenburg archipelago 
. The pics of Öckerö church are giving me chills 
! The Västtrafik app made traveling between islands so easy and convenient 
, can't wait to try that out on my next island-hopping trip 
Man, I feel like I'm back in the 90s when we used to spend our summer holidays at the lake with just a tent and some fishing gear. These Swedish islands remind me of that carefree life. The fact that they have these tiny little islands everywhere is kinda mind-boggling - it's like Sweden decided to just throw up a bunch of maps and say, "Hey, you figure out where all these are!" 
, and then once you get to your destination, there's always a delay getting back on board 
. and what's up with the limited number of available ferries? I got stuck waiting for over an hour at Rörö because they weren't running as frequently as advertised 
. Seriously though, 260,000 islands? That's crazy! In my day, we're lucky if we have a decent-sized lake nearby. And the Västtrafik app made ferry travel so easy, I wonder how people used to navigate this whole archipelago back in the day... probably by asking for directions from sailors on passing ships 
.
. But hey, I guess it's cool that there are so many islands to explore and discover new ones... like Vinga and Hönö seemed pretty awesome