A trip report by Olle Persson.

Trip facts

• Start and finish: Trosa havsbad – Sollenkroka jetty on Vindö
• Distance: 167 km over seven days
• Difficulty: moderate in calm weather, difficult in strong wind. A route closer to the mainland is less exposed.
• Highlights: outer archipelago and open bays, open sea, classic archipelago scenery and lighthouses, an old customs and pilot station

From Trosa into the Stockholm archipelago

Trosa is jokingly called “the end of the world”, but it makes a great starting point for a trip north into the Stockholm archipelago. From Trosa havsbad we pass the Julafton lighthouse and follow a chain of small islands sheltering us from the open sea. After Fifång comes a crossing of almost two kilometres over the shipping lane to Södertälje. Thick fog makes us listen hard for ships – and just as we reach the other side, a ship glides silently out of the mist behind us.

Rounding Örudden on Torö, we spot Landsort lighthouse almost due south. We are now in the Stockholm archipelago and gradually turn north. After the wide bay towards Järflotta and a night on Arnholmarna, we pass the narrow sound of Draget, with remains of ancient pile barriers. This sound was part of King Valdemar’s sailing route.

King Valdemar’s sailing route

More than 700 years ago, a document described the sea route along the Swedish Baltic coast from Utlängan in Blekinge to Arholma in the northern Stockholm archipelago, continuing via Åland and southern Finland to Reval – today’s Tallinn in Estonia – and naming many places along the way. It is part of King Valdemar’s Census Book from the 1200s, compiled under the Danish king Valdemar II (reigned 1202–1241), who conquered Estonia in 1219.

Towards Utö

With Nynäshamn in sight to the north, we head east. Ahead lie two completely open bays, Gårdsfjärden and Danziger gatt, with the small island of Mällsten between them – a long crossing that is only advisable in light winds. A flock of razorbills flies curiously low over our heads before we reach Nåttarö and its friendly sandy beaches. Old military fortifications from the 1900s can be seen on many islands, for example on Mällsten and the east side of Utö. We spend the night on a small islet off Hamnudden on Utö.

Huvudskär and a paddling friend

Huvudskär is the easternmost island in this part of the archipelago, facing the open sea. In warm sunshine and a light breeze, we pass the strangely dome-shaped island of Borgen and reach Huvudskär at midday: an old pilot and customs station, a lighthouse from the 1930s and a small hostel in the old customs house. Fresh water is scarce here – as on most outer islands – so bring your own.

The sea breeze picks up and we push north-west in a crosswind to the sheltered west side of Fjärdlång, a nature reserve with a hostel, where we meet a friend and spend the evening on sun-warmed rocks swapping stories from earlier trips – along the west coast of Greenland and north of Lofoten in Norway.

The next day we follow the outermost skerries past Biskopsön and Söderö towards Långviksskär, battling a persistent northerly headwind in choppy seas. Without windproof paddling jackets we would have had to wait it out – even a mild wind drains your energy, and you get cold and seasick when the boat rolls a lot.

North to Långviksskär and Bullerö

Långviksskär is a nature reserve of low skerries with narrow passages in between – wonderful paddling, but exposed to the weather. About 8 km due north lies Bullerö (read sea kayaking to Bullerö), which we reach after a hard slog from islet to islet into the wind. The island has a museum, a hostel and nature trails.

Calm paddling to the finish

From Bullerö we head north-west towards Runmarö, making a wide detour around the bird sanctuary, and camp on a small islet by Munkön among strange rock formations. Boat traffic increases closer to inhabited areas. The forecast had warned of strong winds, but we get a calm, beautiful day along the east side of Runmarö. After the narrow sound at Skarp-Runmarö we have to cross the busy shipping lane to Sandhamn – not a place to linger – before a tiny passage between Hasselö and Harö leads us into the calm eastern part of Kanholmsfjärden.

Our general tip for the Stockholm archipelago: avoid the busiest natural harbours and guest harbours, stay away from the built-up middle archipelago, and you will find peace and plenty of places to rest and camp – thanks largely to the Archipelago Foundation, which keeps large areas open to everyone. We camp on Stora Skatholmen, one of the few easy places to land and pitch a tent in the inner archipelago, and finish the week at Sollenkroka jetty, where friends meet us.

Daily stages

The trip was paddled in the first week of August:

1. Trosa havsbad – Arnholmarna, 27 km
2. Arnholmarna – Albroskär, 41 km
3. Albroskär – Huvudskär – Fjärdlång, 26 km
4. Fjärdlång – Långviksskär, 26 km
5. Långviksskär – islet by Munkön, 17 km
6. Munkön – Stora Skatholmen, 24 km
7. Stora Skatholmen – Sollenkroka, 6 km

Total: 167 km

Only have a day in Stockholm?

A week-long trip needs planning – but you can get a taste of the archipelago in just a few hours. Rent a kayak at our base on Långholmen in central Stockholm, or join a guided kayak tour in English. Planning your own expedition? You will need a sea kayak with plenty of storage, a spray deck, a life jacket and windproof clothing – see our packing list or visit our shop on Hornsgatan.