Imagine a place without cars and traffic noise, where one can take a deep breath of fresh sea air and hear the sound of gently lapping waves, an archipelago of small islands with traditional fishermen’s villages and wooden cottages on the rocks. A place where the craggy shores meet leafy nature and sometimes the only mean of transport are wheelbarrows.

Just a stone’s throw away from Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city, lies its southern archipelago which is easily accessible by public transport and close enough to visit for a day trip, but still far enough away to have a totally different tempo to the city. Sounds interesting? Stay here then and discover this Sweden’s hidden gem with me.

Gothenburg was covered with mist when we took the morning tram to Saltholmen. We passed the city center, Järntorget square and the wooden houses in Majorna district and half an hour later we reached the ferry terminal.

The nice thing is that you can explore the whole southern archipelago on your tram ticket which makes it an affordable day trip even for budget travelers. So if you, for example, purchased the 1-day ticket on Gothenburg public transport you can catch the tram 11 to Saltholmen ferry terminal and travel between islands as much as you want. The same is with the Göteborg City Card. Great, isn’t it? Tip: Between June 19th – August 20th instead of going by tram to Saltholmen you can take a ferry from Stepiren terminal in the city center.

1. Styrsö – the main island of the Southern Gothenburg Archipelago with the post office, school, shops, guesthouses, and restaurants.

2. Brännö – an island famous for its traditional summer dances and child-friendly beach.

3. Vrångö – the southernmost inhabited island with a large marina, scenic viewpoints, beautiful sandy beaches, and two nature hiking trails.

4. Donsö – an important fishing and ship-owning community with great hiking paths and places to swim.

5. Asperö – a fishermen’s island with scenic viewpoint at the top of Valen hill and a bathing area.

6. Köpstadsö – a small island where wheelbarrows are the only mean of transport.

7. Vargö – an uninhabited island with a nature reserve and shallow lagoon.

8. Galterö – an island with pastureland and rich bird life.

9. Stora Förö – a small island with good swim spots mainly visited by summer residents.

10. Knarrholmen – a calm summer island close to the Saltholmen ferry with fine beaches and rocks to relax on.