9,000 islands and warm sun – the wild archipelago where Swedes unwind ...Middle East

I crane my neck as a huge shadow passes overhead. Even from all the way down here on our little boat, the enormous wingspan of a white-tailed eagle is unmistakable. Along the shores and islands of the Baltic Sea, these extraordinary birds of prey are now a common sight, having been brought back from the brink of extinction. Seeing one so close is a pretty special welcome to Sweden.

I am exploring the Östergötland Archipelago, a haven for nature and heritage, a couple of hours south of Stockholm, where many Swedes spend their summers. Its coastal towns and islands are easily accessible from the UK on regional flights via Amsterdam to Linköping – a short drive from the coast – or a two-hour train ride from Stockholm. You can also take the sleeper train from Berlin and Hamburg to Norrköping.

Unlike the capital’s busier and more populated archipelago, Östergötland feels wild and undiscovered outside Sweden. Scattered just off the coast, it comprises the Arkösund, Sankt Anna, and Gryt archipelagos, which together total around 9,000 islands, most of which are uninhabited and ideal for island-hopping.

Out here on the water, with just the rocky islands and the horizon for company, there is space to breathe. And while southern Europe bakes in heatwaves, this breezy coastline – where temperatures are a pleasantly mild 24°C or so – feels like the perfect summer escape.

Indeed, Swedes come here to kayak, sail or paddleboard out to find their own private island for the day, sunbathing on the smooth rocks, spotting eagles and sea otters and enjoying cool swims in the Baltic. Public access laws mean you can roam nearly anywhere you want and wild camp, as long as you respect nature and landowners.

I’m staying in the picturesque seaside village of Arkösund, a northern gateway to the archipelago. A summer resort for wealthy merchants at the start of the 20th century, today it has fewer than 250 permanent residents but remains a popular summer destination for Swedes escaping the cities.

Charming wooden houses in traditional red and yellow cluster around a marina that’s busy with boats used to explore the islands. I’m visiting just as the season prepares to kick off around midsummer, when quiet Arkösund transforms into a lively, bustling little resort, offering everything from sailing and fishing to restaurants serving fresh seafood.

Arkösunds Hotel is a local landmark dating to 1895, overlooking the sea, where guests have included Sweden’s heir to the throne, Crown Princess Victoria. The hotel was completely renovated last year, with 29 bright, airy rooms, a spa, a pool, and a restaurant where I enjoyed locally caught fish and white asparagus with wild garlic hollandaise and roe.

I set off to explore the islands using the boat taxi of Jonas Albinsson, who also offers guided tours of the archipelago. Alternatively, you can hop on Östgötatrafiken’s regular archipelago service (line 781) to the island of Aspöja for around £9, my next stop.

Far out in the Sankt Anna archipelago, Aspöja has been inhabited since at least the 15th century, and it’s a little piece of paradise. Today there are just 25 year-round residents. One of them is Helen Forsman, who runs a farm on the island that has been passed down through at least nine generations of her family.

I walk with her past bright summer foliage, the sea twinkling through the trees, as she tells me about the island’s history and traditions, including herring and eel fishing, horticulture, and farming, which continue on Aspöja to this day. She shows me the huge, tunnel-like nets they used to catch eels, then calls to a flock of sheep, which bound over to greet us.

In summer, Helen also runs Forsmans, the island’s only restaurant, where I enjoy a delicious lunch of rainbow trout with dill, potatoes and salad. After, I stop to pick up some island produce – relishes, pesto and jam – from the Aspöja Grönt farm shop. In summer, there is also a friendly archipelago troll living here on hand for childcare and supervised fun.

Feeling acclimatised, I meet guide Anders of Kajakparadiset on Norra Finnö island, from where we head out onto the sea. He takes kayakers out into the wild outer archipelago with its barren skerries and wide-open horizons, but we keep to the inner islands, where the water is calmer and trees shelter us from the strong sea wind.

We pass grazing cows and sheep, the only sounds the gentle splash of our paddles and the breeze skimming the surface. We choose a pretty peninsula to break for fika – coffee and a bun – and refuel with views to die for.

I’m staying the night at the kayak base, which is part of Skärgårdsbyn Mon, a holiday village of cabins and apartments with fishing, nature trails, swimming, a gym and restaurants. In the evening, I unwind in a hot tub with views over the archipelago, and the wood-fired floating sauna, before dinner in the boat house bistro.

To get further out into the archipelago, I board a public boat from Tyrislöt to Harstena, a quintessential Swedish idyll popular for day excursions. The island was first mentioned in 1543 in the land register of King Gustav Vasa, but burials here date back to the Iron Age.

Today, the island is owned by the community – just a handful of families – after it was bought from the Crown in the 18th century. Some of the traditional red wooden houses here date back to that time, while the tiny old schoolhouse, built in 1921, is now used for community events. The seal processing hut speaks to the island’s former industry. These days, seals are the focus of boat safaris around the island.

My next island stop is Häradskär, far out in the Gryt archipelago, well-known for fishing since the Middle Ages. Around 1050-1250, a small fishing settlement was established here, and it was said that in 1490, the Bishop of Linköping had fishermen from the island catching fish for him personally. There are still remains of some of the medieval fishing huts.

But Häradskär, two islands connected by a small bridge – Stångskär being the other – is best known for its impressive 29m red lighthouse. From the end of the 17th century, the island became an important piloting station, helping to guide ships through the notoriously tricky waters of the outer archipelago. For centuries, a huge stone pillar stood here until greater sea traffic led to the building of the current lighthouse in 1863.

I’m meeting Lennart Forsström, who was born here and whose family history is intimately connected with the lighthouse. Until electricity arrived in 1968, three people were needed to man it at all hours, each working for four hours on rotation with an eight-hour break. Lennart’s grandfather was one of the last pilots on Häradsskär and today he keeps its history alive by managing the island’s cultural heritage and tourism. Visitors can stay in the old lighthouse keepers’ residences.

Lennart takes me on a guided tour of his home. From the top of the lighthouse, there is an incredible overview of the archipelago and Häradsskär, which is so unlike the soft lawns and lush vegetation of Harstena. Typical of the outer archipelago, its windswept rocks lie low, dotted here and there with hardy tufts of foliage and the odd tree.

Even on a summer’s day, with the sunlight glittering on the sea all around us, it is easy to imagine the peril of mariners on a stormy night sailing dangerously close to the rocks before catching sight of the island’s beacon.

Crossing to Häradsskär, where it’s more sheltered, is like walking through the looking-glass. Here a profusion of early summer vegetation surrounds the cluster of homes where the pilots’ families lived and where today’s residents still live. Sadly, I don’t see the island’s herd of friendly goats, which are brought here to graze in summer.

These four peaceful days getting lost in this wild, nearly untouched island paradise, seeing barely another tourist, feel like a huge privilege. As my boat gathers speed for Gryts Varv hotel’s nautical rooms and restaurant, the salty wind whipping my hair behind me, I turn to see the island sink into the horizon and catch sight of a familiar winged shadow in the distance, the sun glinting on its wings – just one of 9,000 reasons to return.

How to do it

The writer was a guest of Visit Sweden.

Arkösunds hotel has double rooms starting at £180 for a weekend in summer; self-service apartments for two at the archipelago village of Skärgårdsbyn Mon vary from £54 in low season to £112 in high season, while hotel rooms are £100 – £159; double rooms at Gryts Varv start at £136.

For getting around by boat during the summer, check out the archipelago service, where you can book a single ticket for around £9. Booking ahead is recommended. Line 781 takes you from Arkösund to Aspöja. Alternatively, book a boat taxi. You can also ride in style on 19th-century vessels from Tyrislöt or Arkösund. Visit Sweden has collated trips available in summer.

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