This lovely Swedish city is worth a visit. There are plenty of things to do in Gothenburg. If you’re staying for a while, visiting the archipelagos around Gothenburg is worth the trip. The southern archipelagos are part of the Gothenburg municipality where the use of cars is limited. At some islands it is not allowed to drive cars, there people use scooters or bicycles.
Taking the ferry from Gothenburg to the southern archipelagos
The ferry to the southern archipelagos leaves from Saltholmen. In the summer month it also departed from the city centre, Stenpiren.
At Saltholmen you can find lots of parking spaces, if you are early you might find some parking spaces in the shadow or half shadow. From the parking lots you have to walk around 5-10 minutes to the harbour.
By public transport you can reach Saltholmen with the tram number 9 or 11 from Gothenburg. It takes you around 40 minutes and the station is directly at the harbour.
Ferry tickets and the journey length
You can either purchase the ticket online, on board or at the ticket shop right at the ferry station. Your public transportation ticket for Gothenburg’s buses is applicable for the ferry. Even the southern island is still in Zone A so whether you are using a day ticket or a 24/72 hour ticket you can use it for the ferry to reach the southern archipelagos.
But if you are just buying the ferry ticket it is 37 kr/3.27 Euros. The fare is cheaper by buying it online. At the ticket shop the price is 44 kr/3,88 Euros. You can even bring a bicycle on the ferry, if there is enough space.
What would be also important to know is that there are various ferries. If you are visiting the southernmost island, Vrångö, the journey can be 30 to 50 minutes depending on the connection.
What to expect from Gothenburg’s archipelagos
The ferry ride alone is so beautiful. There is always something to see. So make sure you leave your phone screen and enjoy the views as they are. Either passing by the islands or watching the water transportation.
The southern archipelagos consists of multiple islands. 10 of them are reachable by ferry.
The biggest islands are Asperö, Brännö, Styrsö, Donsö and Vrångö. Vargö is a smaller island which is a nature reserve. There you can enjoy the flora and fauna. Another nature reserve that you can visit is the island Galterö that is reachable from Brännö via a bridge.
Many islands are summer homes for Swedes. Such as Köpstadsö and Stora Förö. The main island of the southern archipelagos of Gothenburg is Styrsö. There are post offices, cafes and restaurants. As well as plenty of swimming options.
There are plenty of slow activities that you can enjoy at the Gothenburgs archipelagos. You can either sit and enjoy a Swedish fika at one of the cafés. You can go explore one of the many walking paths on the islands. Another activity is to take a swim in the sea.
You can miss wandering around the lovely towns of the islands. Many islands have viewpoints where you can walk up and take amazing pictures or just take in the view.
Why the southern archipelagos are perfect to unwind from the city hustle
The southern archipelagos are car free. Which means there aren’t any cars on the ferry nor can you find car traffic on the islands. People use golf carts or electric vehicles such as ebikes. This makes it a perfect stop to escape the hustle of Gothenburg.
Did you know that the advanced world we are living in is actually overstimulating to the human race. We aren’t made to stare 8 hours or longer on screens. Or commute every day. Additionally the overstimulation of a city can have a negative effect on your mental health.
Therefore a journey to the archipelagos is not only a great day trip but also helps your mental health. You can get away from everything and enjoy a day in nature.
Visiting Vrångö the southernmost island of Gothenburg’s archipelagos
Vrångö is the southernmost island. There you find a café/restaurant right at the harbour. From there you can walk towards the center of the island until you reach a path up the viewpoint. At the other side of the ferry harbour is the local harbour with private boats. From there you can take a loop walk around the northern part of the island. The path is at first out in the open and then you reach a forest.
Making the loop you return to the east coast of the island (the side where the ferry stop is). Here you find little sandy bays, perfect to dip in the water. Between the sandy part you find huge rocks, where you can sit on and enjoy your picnic. When we were there at the end of August there was a lot of sea grass. We went into the water at a rocky part and it was quite slippery.
What to bring on your trip the archipelagos
If it is a sunny summer day make sure you bring water to stay hydrated, sunscreen and headgear. The sun can get very strong and there is not much shade. A bathing suite is also a good idea to carry with you. In case you are on a budget bring snacks as well. The restaurants on the islands are a little bit pricier. Also not all islands have restaurant facilities. For instance the nature reserve does not have any facilities other than the ferry stop.
Optionally you can also bring binoculars for wildlife watching, your camera or a good book to chill on one of the bays.
I hope this blog post gave you a glimpse of how your visit to Gothenburg’s archipelago could look like. Let me know in the comments how your trip there was.
The author of the blog
Lisi is an adventurous, mostly solo traveler from Austria. She likes to travel slowly, discover underrated countries/regions, and of course, learn about cultures. She has been traveling the world and creating travel content since 2016. With a degree in tourism management and a passion for travel and cultures, she wants to tell stories that inspire her readers and help them travel more consciously.
