A trip report by Olle Persson.

In the early 1900s, the artists Bruno Liljefors, Anders Zorn and Albert Engström, the aviator Baron Carl Cederström and the newspaper man Torsten Kreuger came out to Bullerö to hunt – and it is easy to see why. This is where the Stockholm archipelago ends. To the east lies the open Baltic; behind you, the wide Bulleröfjärden separates the outer islands from the inner archipelago. Liljefors’ old hunting lodge, on a meadow with a glimpse of the sea, is now a museum.

Trip facts

• Start and finish: the bridge to Hölö, just south of Stavsnäs, about an hour east of central Stockholm. There is no parking, so get dropped off and picked up. Alternatives: Björnö nature reserve or Björkvik jetty at the southern tip of Ingarö.
• Distance: 36 km
• Difficulty: moderate, difficult in windy weather
• Map: topographic map of the southern Stockholm archipelago, 1:50,000
• Highlights: outer archipelago, the Bruno Liljefors museum, open bays and open sea

Crossing Nämndöfjärden

To avoid the busy boat traffic at Stavsnäs, we launch in the sound by the Hölö bridge. A narrow channel takes us south and round the tip of Hölö – and there lies the wide Nämndöfjärden. But the waves are high, a fresh southerly is blowing and it is a holiday weekend, so the boats keep coming. Our small group hesitates and drifts nervously along Hölö’s steep, rocky shore, where there is nowhere to land if someone capsizes.

We are almost back at Stavsnäs before we find a gap in the traffic and sprint across together. Staying close makes us more visible and ready for an assisted rescue in the choppy water. Camping is not allowed in the Munkön nature reserve on the far side, but the skerries further east, such as Limskären, offer spots to pitch a tent.

Out to Bullerö

The next day we squeeze through the reedy channel between Söderholmen and Ladholmen, pass the northern tip of Aspön, skirt the bird sanctuary around Stora Finnholmen, cross the main sailing route to Sandhamn and pass Melskären. The following morning we reach the old settlement on southern Bullerö: weathered wooden houses huddled under tall trees behind the steamboat jetty. Fishing families once lived here; today the reserve warden lives here, and a few rooms are let as a hostel. By kayak, land in the bay just north of the jetty.

The warden’s house by the Bullerö jetty.

Waxholm III breaks the mirror

To the west, the sky is darkening fast. We pack quickly to get closer to the inner archipelago before evening – nobody wants to be stuck out here in bad weather. A ship’s horn makes us look up. Slowly, almost in slow motion, the old archipelago steamer Waxholm III glides in towards the jetty. The water is flat and grey, merging with the sky; the red band on the funnel is the only splash of colour – apart from a kayaker in a red life jacket turning away to port. For a moment, time stands still.

Then the spell breaks, and we cross Bulleröfjärden before the rain arrives, following the bird-rich sound between Kalvholmen and Långskär to Melskären, where we camp another night.

Back across Nämndöfjärden

On the way back the traffic has vanished. Low clouds, drizzle, a fresh breeze and an ordinary weekday keep the boaters at home – perfect for us. Paddling keeps us warm, the tailwind gives us plenty of surfing, and we have the archipelago almost to ourselves. The only boat we meet is the well-known archipelago doctor’s boat, before we tuck in behind the northern tip of Hölö and paddle in shelter back to the bridge.

About Bullerö

Bullerö is a small island, just under one square kilometre, on the very edge of the archipelago in Värmdö municipality. It is the main island of a nature reserve of around 900 islands, islets and skerries, managed by the County Administrative Board, with a warden and a hostel on the island. Bruno Liljefors bought Bullerö in 1908 and made it his family’s summer paradise, inviting famous guests every year. The state has owned the island since 1967. There is a Liljefors museum and nature trails. Not paddling? In summer, water taxis run from Stavsnäs – check current times and book ahead.

The Bruno Liljefors museum on Bullerö.

About Waxholm III

MS Waxholm III was built in 1903 at Bergsund shipyard in Stockholm for the Östergötland archipelago and bought in 1908 by Waxholms nya Ångfartygs AB for the northern route to Arholma and Öregrund – Albert Engström was a regular passenger. She took part in the “Blidösund war” between rival shipping companies and served the navy during the war. From 1964 to 1991 she was a floating grill bar in Vaxholm; today, restored, she sails on charter trips in the archipelago.

Experience the archipelago from Stockholm

Want a taste of archipelago paddling without planning a multi-day trip? Rent a kayak at our base on Långholmen in central Stockholm, or join a guided kayak tour in English. For your own trips, you need a seaworthy sea kayak and a brightly coloured life jacket – find them in our shop on Hornsgatan. For a longer route in the same area, read a week in the southern Stockholm archipelago.