The car-free island of sandy beaches Swedish locals want to keep secret

Almost Utopian, Kajkanten, Swedish outdoor feeedom, Kayaking, Saunas and slow dinners, Travel info

A breath of steam curled up into the evening air as I sank into a hot tub on a quiet harbour jetty, the sky overhead turning the colour of lavender. Grey herons flew in low over the water, their silhouettes gliding across the setting sun before landing silently on the sea. Around me, nothing but stillness. The faint hush of waves. The creak of boats resting against the dock. Somewhere behind, the low squeak of a sauna door swinging open. Just 35 minutes by ferry from Gothenburg’s Saltholmen terminal, Vrångö is the southernmost inhabited speck in a vast archipelago of more than 260,000 islands, skerries and islets. It’s a place where time slows and the rest of the world fades to a whisper. Until 1987, these islands were restricted by the military; no foreigners were permitted, and even domestic tourism was modest. In effect, they’ve been open to international holidaymakers for less than 40 years. And while Swedes have long known the magic of escaping the city for the silence of the sea here, most Britons haven’t caught on – yet.

Almost Utopian

Almost Utopian, Kajkanten, Swedish outdoor feeedom, Kayaking, Saunas and slow dinners, Travel info

“Visitors are mostly from Gothenburg,” says Madeleine Karlsten as she checks me in to my room on the island. “Not only Swedes, but also expats living in the city. Not many British.” The island is tiny, at a little over a square mile – smaller than Lundy or Sark. Around 400 people live here year-round, with no chain cafés, no franchised fast-food outlets, no nightlife, and almost no vehicles. A few working tractors and utility trucks are allowed for island maintenance, but otherwise it’s all bikes, boats and your own two feet. Even the island’s tiny supermarket works on an honour system: customers take what they need, jot it down and settle up later. It’s a level of trust that feels almost utopian. (Photo: James Draven)

Kajkanten

Almost Utopian, Kajkanten, Swedish outdoor feeedom, Kayaking, Saunas and slow dinners, Travel info

I stayed at Kajkanten, a cluster of converted boathouses on the harbour, run by Håkan Karlsten. His family have lived on the island for over 400 years, working as sea pilots guiding ships safely into Gothenburg. An old lookout station still stands at the island’s highest point – a reminder of Vrångö’s role in maritime history. Håkan grew up in Gothenburg but returned in his twenties. Kajkanten, with its warm wooden interiors, floating sauna and kayak deck, is both luxurious and low-key – a perfect fit for Vrångö’s quiet charm. Each morning, a breakfast basket of local eggs, fresh bread, cheese and yogurt would appear by the door. The rest of the day unfolded however I liked: slowly, freely, entirely outdoors.(Photo: Mikael Svensson/Getty/iStockphoto)

Swedish outdoor feeedom

Almost Utopian, Kajkanten, Swedish outdoor feeedom, Kayaking, Saunas and slow dinners, Travel info

Freedom outdoors is something Sweden does well. The country’s allemansrätten, or “right to roam”, gives everyone the freedom to access nature – regardless of who owns the land. On Vrångö, that means you can swim on any beach, walk any trail and wild camp almost anywhere, provided you’re at least 150 metres from someone’s home. You can collect wildflowers and berries. You can hike across fields or through meadows. One morning, I joined forager and seaweed chef Karolina Martinson, who took me down to the low-tide rocks to gather sugar kelp, mermaid’s necklace and bladderwrack. I picked and ate sea campion (which tastes like peas) as we went. Karolina’s knowledge of edible seaweed is encyclopaedic, and back at her seaside kitchen, we turned our haul into a lunch I still dream about, including an improbable but heavenly seaweed caramel she playfully dubbed “dulse de leche”. It was, like everything on Vrångö, deeply rooted in place. (Photo: Martin Wahlborg/Getty)

Kayaking

Almost Utopian, Kajkanten, Swedish outdoor feeedom, Kayaking, Saunas and slow dinners, Travel info

Later, I climbed into a kayak and paddled gently around the harbour, where the water was smooth as glass. Even a novice would find it easy to steer past rocky outcrops. Seaweed swayed beneath the surface and geese floated nearby. If your idea of kayaking is more about mindfulness than muscle, this is your spot. The next morning, I boarded a small boat with Håkan and headed out to Valö, a neighbouring island and nature reserve where just one family lives. The journey across took about 20 minutes, the wind soft, the sky cloudless. We moored at a rocky inlet and set off on foot, following paths through pine forest and over lichen-speckled rocks. There was no one else around. From the highest point on the island, I looked back at the scattered archipelago – just sky, stone and sea in every direction. It felt we’d sailed into another century. (Photo: Oscar Porras Gonz??lez/500px/Getty)

Saunas and slow dinners

Almost Utopian, Kajkanten, Swedish outdoor feeedom, Kayaking, Saunas and slow dinners, Travel info

Evenings on Vrångö were for saunas and slow dinners. At Hamnkrogen Lotsen, the island’s waterfront restaurant, my fellow diners tucked into glistening platters of crayfish and smoked mussels, while I was happily occupied with a vegetarian feast: a crisp, varicoloured salad of roasted beetroot, goat’s cheese, pickled fennel, orange segments and toasted seeds that made even the most seafood-obsessed Swede glance over with envy. We lingered over fika – coffee and cake – as boats bobbed in the golden light. “In the summer,” Håkan told me as we watched the sun sink behind the islets, “I’d rather have one perfect day here than two weeks in Spain.” And I could see exactly what he meant. Vrångö might not have the heat of the Med, but it offers something far rarer: silence, slowness, space. For British travellers seeking a quieter, cooler kind of break, this little island is everything you didn’t know you needed. (Photo: Jonas Ingman/Westsweden.com)

Travel info

Almost Utopian, Kajkanten, Swedish outdoor feeedom, Kayaking, Saunas and slow dinners, Travel info

Getting there: Fly to Gothenburg (pictured) with British Airways or Ryanair. / How to do it: You can visit Vrångö on Intrepid’s Taste of Scandinavia tour, which includes accommodation, some meals and activities, a guide and ground transport. From £1,564pp. More information can be found at the Experience West Sweden or Intrepid Travel websites. (Photo: Martin Wahlborg/Getty/E+)