Island-hopping in Sweden's Gothenburg archipelago

A report from Theguardian describes paddling at dusk between small rocky islands off Hälsö, where a guide named Jennie coaches on local geography and the sea lights up with bioluminescence as kayaks move through the straits. The islands are part of the northern Gothenburg archipelago and reachable after a short bus ride out of Gothenburg, a brief ferry and a coastal trail that links islands by bridges, causeways and ferries.

The new footpath is a 21.7-mile (35km) section of the Kuststigen trail; the writer bases in Skärgårdshotellet on Hönö, walks over a soaring bridge to Fotö and explores boulder-strewn coastlines. A boat trip with Lasse on a veteran fishing vessel winds through uninhabited isles out to Vinga, once home to the balladeer Evert Taube, even if seals are not always seen.

Evenings on Hönö include music and local stories: at the Tullhuset harbour restaurant owner Preben Pedersen notes the islands’ pride in the Taube connection, and a smuggling past centred on places such as Moonshine Bay.

Sweden, Gothenburg