Gothenburg archipelago by boat: islands, routes, rules
The Gothenburg archipelago is unusual because it starts almost in the city. From Långedrag and Saltholmen you reach the car-free islands of the southern archipelago in about a quarter of an hour, and a longer run takes you to the Vrångö nature reserve or the northern fishing villages on Hönö, Öckerö, Björkö and Rörö. Expect short island hops, a 17th-century fortress and big-ship traffic, plus a few local speed limits.
Where can you rent a boat in Gothenburg?
Private owners rent out motorboats, RIBs, daycruisers and sailboats all around the city. Browse boats to rent in Gothenburg and in Västra Frölunda near Långedrag, or further south in Hovås and Särö if you want to start closer to Vrångö and Donsö. Each owner states what experience or certificate they require, and some owners can come along as skipper.
6 boat trips in the Gothenburg archipelago
Distances are approximate map estimates; always plan with a nautical chart or chart app. Two Swedish words you will see: a gästhamn is a guest harbour with berths for visiting boats, and a naturhamn is a natural harbour, a sheltered cove where you moor to the rocks or anchor.
1. Island hopping in the south: Asperö, Köpstadsö, Styrsö and Donsö
Approx. 8–10 nm round trip from Långedrag/Saltholmen, half to a full day. All six inhabited islands of the southern archipelago (Asperö, Brännö, Köpstadsö, Styrsö, Donsö and Vrångö) are car-free. Asperö is the closest, approx. 1.5 nm out, with bathing rocks and a view of the harbour entrance from the Valen hill. Köpstadsö is the smallest: cars, mopeds and bicycles are all banned and there is no shop or café, so bring a packed lunch. Styrsö has four small villages and a bridge to Donsö.
Moor in Donsö harbour, which has about 100 guest berths on the inside of the western pier. Free berths are marked with a green sign; red means taken. Donsö, Sweden's third-largest shipowning community, has a shop, restaurants and a bathing jetty by the harbour. Tip: a 7-knot limit applies in Styrsö Bratten harbour, and in the channel past Styrsö Tånge and Vargö ränna from 1 June to 31 August.
2. Vrångö and the Vrångö archipelago nature reserve
Approx. 7 nm one way from Långedrag, full day. Vrångö is the only island in the reserve inhabited all year, and the reserve covers about 50 square kilometres of islands and skerries from Yttre Tistlarna in the south to Vrångö's northern tip. Expect a sandy beach south of the ferry pier, walking paths and an old pilot lookout facing Vinga.
The public ferry calls at Mittvik on the east side; across the island, just under a kilometre away, is a large guest harbour with a fishing quay and a grocery shop. In calm weather you can continue approx. 4 nm to Yttre Tistlarna, an old lighthouse station with a popular natural harbour. Tip: several skerries here are closed 1 April–31 July (see rules).
3. Brännö, Galterö and Känsösundet
Approx. 3 nm to Brännö from Långedrag, 2–4 hours. Brännö is the island of Lasse Dahlquist's famous jetty-dance song. West of Brännö lies the Galterö nature reserve, an uninhabited island with paths, shallow bays with eelgrass meadows and plenty of birds; its western part is a military training area and not part of the reserve.
We could not confirm guest berths for visiting boats on Brännö, so ask locally or combine it with Donsö for an overnight stay. Tip: a 7-knot limit applies in Känsösundet.
4. The harbour entrance: Lilla Bommen, Nya Älvsborg and Nya Varvet
Approx. 5–6 nm one way between Långedrag and Lilla Bommen, 2–3 hours. The route runs through the harbour entrance past Nya Älvsborg fortress, built 1653–1677 on an islet in the fairway and never taken during the war with Denmark in 1717–1719. Just south of it lies Nya Varvet, an old naval yard that has seen soldiers, seaplanes and prisoners.
In the city you can moor at Göteborgs Gästhamn Lilla Bommen next to the Opera: 100 berths, open around the clock all year, with full service from 1 May to 30 September. Tip: this is the stretch with the heaviest ship traffic, see VTS and the Göta älv speed limits below.
5. The northern archipelago: Hönö and Öckerö
Approx. 7 nm from Långedrag to Hönö Klåva and approx. 2 nm on to Öckerö harbour, full day. Hönö has a popular guest harbour at Klåva, the Hästen and Lappesand bathing spots close to the harbour and the Ersdalen nature area on the north-west side. Öckerö harbour has guest berths for about 30 boats in the south-west part of the fishing harbour.
Tip: 5 knots applies in Hönö Klåva harbour and under the Öckerö–Hälsö bridge, and 5 knots at the Fotö bridge from 1 June to 31 August. The car ferries from Lilla Varholmen run up to six times an hour.
6. Björkö and Rörö
Approx. 2 nm from Öckerö to Björkö and approx. 3 nm on to Rörö, half to a full day. Björkö's guest harbour lies sheltered in the fishing and boat harbour on the west side, with a fish shop, ice cream kiosk, chandlery with fuel and a bathing spot on Skarviks holme. Rörö is the northernmost island of the Gothenburg archipelago, with a treeless nature reserve, fields of beach cobbles and potholes on its west side. Rörö guest harbour, on the Gothenburg–Marstrand fairway, has a shop, café and toilet pump-out. Tip: 5 knots applies in Björkö fishing harbour and Rörö harbour area. From here Marstrand is not far, see our guide to sailing to Marstrand.
| Route | Distance | Time | Highlight | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asperö–Köpstadsö–Styrsö–Donsö | approx. 8–10 nm return | half–full day | car-free islands, Donsö harbour | families, first trip |
| Vrångö and the reserve | approx. 7 nm one way | full day | sandy beach, nature reserve | swimming and walking |
| Brännö and Galterö | approx. 3 nm one way | 2–4 hours | dance-pier island, nature reserve | short trip |
| Harbour entrance to Lilla Bommen | approx. 5–6 nm one way | 2–3 hours | fortress, city harbour | city visit |
| Hönö and Öckerö | approx. 9 nm one way | full day | fishing villages, guest harbours | experienced skippers |
| Björkö and Rörö | approx. 5 nm from Öckerö | half–full day | nature reserve, beach cobbles | nature and birds |
Rules and safety in the Gothenburg archipelago
Ships and ferries. Gothenburg is Scandinavia's largest port, and the harbour entrance is shared by large ships and many leisure boats. The Swedish Maritime Administration's VTS Göteborg works on VHF channel 13; if you have a VHF, listen there. Sjöfartsverket says small-craft fairways are arranged; use them rather than the main shipping lanes. Styrsöbolaget runs public ferry lines 281–284 from Saltholmen and Stenpiren to the southern islands, and car ferries shuttle frequently to Hönö and Björkö, so give ferries room at piers and in sounds.
Speed limits (Länsstyrelsen Västra Götaland, the county board; signposted on site):
- Göta älv: 8 knots from the river mouth and 5 knots further in through central Gothenburg (14FS 2022:7). Racing, water-skiing and windsurfing are banned in the same area.
- Saltholmen outer harbour: 3 knots.
- Känsösundet and Styrsö Bratten harbour: 7 knots.
- Styrsö Tånge–Vargö ränna: 7 knots from 1 June to 31 August.
- Hönö Klåva harbour, the Öckerö–Hälsö bridge, Björkö fishing harbour and Rörö harbour area: 5 knots; at the Fotö bridge 5 knots from 1 June to 31 August.
Bird and seal protection areas. Under the county board's regulation you may not land on or enter the protected skerries from 1 April to 31 July, nor anchor or stay in the protected water zone around them (50 m, 100 m at Inre Tistlarna). Passing straight through is allowed. They include Inre Tistlarna, Kalvholmen, Aveskären, Stora Stenskär, Vasskären and Buskär in Gothenburg, and Benskär, Torrbeskär and the skerries north-east of Rörö in Öckerö. In the Vrångö archipelago nature reserve camping, fires outside designated places and unleashed dogs are also banned. On Rörö you may not camp or move stones on the cobble fields.
The right of public access on the water. According to Naturvårdsverket, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, you may anchor, go ashore and moor temporarily at shores that are not part of someone's garden, and stay a night or so. Private jetties on someone's plot are off limits; one outside a plot may be borrowed briefly.
Toilet waste may not be discharged into Swedish waters. Use the harbour pump-out stations, for example at Långedrag or on Rörö.
Licence and alcohol. In Sweden no licence is required for a leisure boat under 12 m long or under 4 m wide, whatever the engine. A boat that is at least 12 m long and 4 m wide requires a kustskepparintyg (coastal skipper certificate) or higher. This applies to visitors too. Read more in our guide to boat licence rules in Sweden. The 0.2 per mille alcohol limit applies to boats that can do 15 knots or are at least 10 m long.
Best time for a boat trip in the Gothenburg archipelago
June to August is peak season. The GKSS guest harbour at Långedrag is staffed from 1 June to 31 August and closed from 1 November to 30 April, while Lilla Bommen is open all year with full service from 1 May to 30 September. The bird protection ends on 31 July, so August gives you the most freedom to go ashore on the outer skerries. In September, check that harbour services are still open.
FAQ
Can I moor my own boat on the car-free islands?
Yes, on several. Donsö harbour has about 100 guest berths and Vrångö has a large guest harbour. We could not confirm guest berths on Styrsö, Brännö, Asperö or Köpstadsö, and the ferry piers are reserved for the public ferries.
How long does it take from Långedrag to Vrångö?
Vrångö is approx. 7 nm away. In calm weather, in a boat cruising at 15–20 knots, that is roughly half an hour.
Can I anchor anywhere in the archipelago?
No. You may anchor under the right of public access outside private plots, but not in the protected water zone around bird and seal areas from 1 April to 31 July, and not in harbours or fairways where signs prohibit it.
Which VHF channel is used in the Gothenburg harbour entrance?
Channel 13. That is where VTS Göteborg works, and according to Sjöfartsverket, VTS and the pilots appreciate it when every navigator announces their intentions there.
Can I take the boat into central Gothenburg?
Yes. Follow Göta älv past Nya Älvsborg and keep to 8 and then 5 knots. The Lilla Bommen guest harbour is next to the Opera, 300 metres from the Nordstan shopping centre.
To continue north, read our guide to Tjörn and Orust by boat, and pack with our day-trip packing list.
