A quick guide to Stockholm archipelago and its islands

Lidö hostel and guesthouse is situated in a beautiful manor from the 18th century. The manor, refurbished by Skärgårdsstiftelsen, also has a restaurant. The island features a guest harbor, natural harbor, and a two-kilometer walking path. Lidö can be reached by regular boat from Rävsnäs, and in the summer also from Stockholm with a boat transfer at Fejan. Make sure to visit Lidö värdshus

Just south of Arholma Idö offers beautiful natural experiences. Skärgårdsstiftelsen maintains the old cultural landscape, where you'll find a magnificent display of flowers in early summer. Nice walking paths lead from the quiet bays on the island's west side to the often rugged Ålands hav on the east side. A regular boat runs from Stockholm in the summer. Read more about Idö here

At the rustic and atmospheric archipelago tavern by the dock on Fejan, you have a view of the sea, guest harbor, and all the dock life. There's a small archipelago center with a well-known tavern, guest dock, and hostel. A regular boat runs from Stockholm in the summer, and boat service is also available year-round from Rävsnäs brygga. Visit Fejan

On Arholma, you can hike in genuine archipelago nature towards the Ålands hav. Visit the lighthouse from 1786, reminiscent of Arholma's maritime traditions. The island also offers overnight stays, archipelago hikes, or visits to the museum Batteri Arholma – a Cold War-era defense installation carved into a rock. The island features a shop, guest docks, restaurants, and bike and kayak rentals. Arholma is accessible by regular boat from Stockholm in the summer, and the hostel is open year-round, as is the boat from Simpnäs. Learn more about Arholma

Nature lovers are drawn to Riddersholm mainly for the noble hardwood groves and the rich birdlife. There's also a guest harbor, campsite, year-round hostel, and 15 kilometers of marked trails to explore the area. Find your way to Riddersholm

Östra Lagnö is easily accessible by SL-bus. It features an easy walking path and cliffs by the open sea. Both Östra Lagnö and Själbottna offer lovely cliffs for swimming. Själbottna can be reached Waxholmsbolaget boat in the summer. Experience Östra Lagnö

Svenska Högarna marks the outermost outpost of the Stockholm archipelago with its red lighthouse from 1874. It is one of the few offshore places in the archipelago that is still manned year-round. There are a few cabins for overnight stays, but be sure to plan your trip to Svenska Högarna here: Svenska högarna.

Finnhamn is the destination for those wanting to reach the outer archipelago for swimming or hiking. There's an archipelago tavern, hostel, cottages, campsite, and a summer shop. Visit Idholmens gård, an organic farm with a farm shop. The fine bays and sheltered coves have made the area very popular among boaters. The island has regular boat service year-round.

Grinda is at a perfect distance from Stockholm for a day trip. The boat ride takes about 1,5 hours, and you can enjoy lunch or dinner at Grinda Wärdshus, a beautiful art nouveau villa. There are also hostels, cottages, campsites, and a lively guest harbor with a harbor tavern. The rural environment is enhanced by Skärgårdsstiftelsen running a small farm here. Make sure not to miss the 3 km hike along Grindastigen.

This archipelago group was the first land purchase by Skärgårdsstiftelsen, and the large summer villa from 1914 is actually the first hostel that opened in the archipelago. The island offers tranquility and a hostel, as well as lovely swimming cliffs. Read more about Stora Kalholmen here.

Magnificent nature and fine beaches make the Gålö peninsula a popular spot. Visit the Stegsholm gård, which has a cozy farm café. Walk the marked nature trail through a beautiful oak forest landscape – or hike the Fornstigen, starting from the Morarna hembygdsmuseum. At Gålö Havsbad, there are campsites, cottage villages, restaurants, and marked hiking trails. Gålö can be reached by car or commuter train from Stockholm with a bus transfer in Västerhaninge. Plan your trip at sl.se.

Small roads and paths crisscross the reserve’s pine and spruce forests. In several places, open areas show traces of past cultivation by diligent archipelago crafters. Björnö peninsula is easily reached by car or bus in just 45 minutes from central Stockholm. Björnö’s fine beaches usually attract large crowds, especially on warm summer days. Visit Björnö

Nåttarö is a popular holiday island, attracting both day trips and vacations at hostels, cottages, or campsites. Natural harbors make the island popular among boaters. There are also fine sandy beaches for swimming, attractions like pebble fields, Drottninggrottan (Queens cave), and giant's kettles. If you like snorkeling, there’s the archipelago’s largest snorkeling trail. There are also summer restaurants and a general store on Nåttarö, reached by Waxholms boat from Nynäshamn.

On one of the southernmost peninsulas in the county lies Käringboda’s over 1,000 ha large nature reserve. Many walking paths are here, and the SL bus stop is about 1 km north of the reserve boundary. Käringbodahas a lot of restored deciduous forest environments.

Landsort is an old pilot and lighthouse site on the southernmost island of the Stockholm archipelago. Here you’ll find Sweden’s oldest preserved lighthouse, many fine environments, and a bird station. Landsort also has a shop, hostel, bed and breakfast, and guest harbor. Waxholmsbolaget services Landsort from Ankarudden on the mainland, a sea journey of about 30 minutes.

The older buildings and agricultural landscape on Gällnö are unusually well-preserved. There are few holiday homes, and the island has only about 30 permanent residents. There is a hostel and shop with a small café on the island. On Hjälmö, Skärgårdsstiftelsen runs an archipelago farm called Västergården. The animals are ferried to islands in the reserve in spring to graze and keep the landscape open. The islands are accessible by regular boat traffic with Waxholmsbolaget.

On Utö, you’ll find the country’s oldest iron mine, as well as a large guest harbor, restaurants, shops, kayak and bike rentals, hotels, hostels, and a tourist office. The old mining office has been transformed into a restaurant where you can eat well. In the summer, regular boats run from Stockholm, and from Årsta Havsbad on the mainland coast, boats run year-round. Read more about Utö here

On Fjärdlång, there’s tent camping, cottage rentals, and a hostel housed in a villa built by financier Ernst Thiel in 1909. Fjärdlång is serviced by Waxholmsbolaget in the summer. Plan your trip to Fjärdlång here.

Ålö can be easily reached by bike from Utö. Here you’ll find beaches and restaurants, as well as cottage rentals, campsites, a grocery store, and restaurang Rånökällan. Waxholms boat service is available from Nynäshamn or by taxi boat.

Nämdö offers nice walking and cycling paths. Marked nature trails of varying lengths start from Östanvik, and you can make a detour to Nämdö Bote, the island’s lookout hill. Also, take advantage of Skärgårdsstiftelsens wood-fired sauna at Långvik. There’s a shop and restaurant at Solvik on the island’s southern part, and here you can make a short trip to Rögrund – a small island southwest of Nämdö. Here, there’s a nice hostel with a café and guest dock. Both Nämdö and Rögrund can be reached by Waxholms boat.

Get around on your own between the islands in the archipelago. The rowboats can be used for free and offer nice detours and walks across the islands. It also provides an opportunity to switch between Waxholmsbolaget’s boat lines. Båtluffarleden - The boat hiking trail’s rowboats can be found at, among others:

Finnhamn – Kålgårdsön, Lånda – Lådnaön, and Karklö – Gällnö.