DestinationsSeptember 26, 2026

Smögen and Sotenäs by boat: routes, harbours, rules

Smögen and the Sotenäs peninsula sit right on the outer edge of the Bohuslän coast. The open Skagerrak lies to the south and west, while sheltered sounds run between Smögen, Kungshamn and Hasselösund. In one day you can moor at Smögenbryggan, swim off the granite rocks of Hållö, have lunch on Bohus-Malmön and cruise the Sotekanalen canal to Hunnebostrand. Seven municipal guest harbours make mooring easy. This guide goes deeper than the best spots in Bohuslän by boat.

Where can you rent a boat near Smögen?

Private owners rent out their own boats across the Sotenäs peninsula. Start with rent a boat in Sotenäs for the whole municipality, or browse boats in Kungshamn, boats in Hunnebostrand and boats on Bohus-Malmön. Each owner states in the listing what experience or certificate they require. Some owners can also come along as skipper.

5 boat trips in Sotenäs

All distances are approximate and estimated from the chart. Always navigate with a paper chart or a chart app. A "gästhamn" is a guest harbour, where visiting boats pay a nightly fee. A "naturhamn" is a natural harbour, meaning a sheltered cove with no facilities.

Smögenbryggan, Kungshamn and Hasselösund

This is the sheltered loop. It runs approx. 3 nautical miles (nm) from Smögen guest harbour through the sound to Kungshamn and through the narrow Pinan channel to Hasselösund, then back the same way. At an easy pace it takes 1–2 hours. Smögenbryggan is a boardwalk about a kilometre long, lined with boathouses, shops and restaurants. Smögen also has Sweden's second-largest fish auction. In Kungshamn you pass old Gravarne and Fisketången, where the traditional boathouses and harbour benches remain. Smögen (approx. 120 berths) and Kungshamn (approx. 100 berths) both have guest harbours. So does Hasselösund, on the north side of Smögen, with approx. 70 berths on four floating pontoons.

Tip: The whole sound between Smögen and Kungshamn is a 5-knot zone from 1 June to 31 August. Inside Smögen harbour and in Pinan the limit is 3 knots. Allow plenty of time.

Smögen to Hållö

Hållö lies approx. 1 nm southwest of Smögenbryggan, 10–15 minutes by boat. The island is a nature reserve with Bohuslän's oldest lighthouse, first lit in 1842. It also has smooth pink granite, glacial potholes and the Marmorbassängen ("marble pool"), a popular swimming spot on the west side. West Sweden's tourist board describes the water here as some of the saltiest in Sweden. According to the county board, there is a guest harbour on the east side of the island. The lighthouse is open to visitors in summer, and the old radio station is now a hostel.

Tip: The Hållö ferry runs from Smögenbryggan daily from late June to late August. Keep clear of it, and go slowly near the shore, where many people are swimming.

Kungshamn to Bohus-Malmön

It is approx. 4 nm east from Kungshamn to Malmön guest harbour, or 20–40 minutes. The harbour sits in the bay between Malmön and Kalven and has approx. 50 berths, where you moor with a stern anchor or to fixed moorings. The island was one of the most important sites for Bohus granite, and old quarries are visible above all on the west side. The Stallebrottet quarry hosts theatre and concerts in summer. The sandy beaches Pärlane and Kattesand are among the most popular on the island. The hamlet of Draget on the southwest side is dramatic on a windy day.

Tip: A free car ferry crosses to the island twice an hour. Watch for it as you enter and leave. Showers and toilets are in the bathhouse, approx. 250 m from the harbour.

Through the Sotekanalen canal to Hunnebostrand

This trip is approx. 7 nm from Smögen and takes 1–1.5 hours. Head north past Väjern, which has a small guest harbour with 8 berths outside the Tumlaren swimming baths, and into the Sotekanalen canal. The canal opened in 1935, is approx. 4.8 km long and turns Ramsvikslandet into an island. From the northern entrance in Ramsviksfjorden it is a short run to Hunnebostrand. It has the municipality's largest guest harbour, with approx. 200 berths, plus petrol, diesel and bottled gas. Hunnebostrand is one of Bohuslän's oldest fishing villages, with a stonemasons' museum and the Hummerakademien lobster centre by the harbour.

Tip: The canal has a 5-knot limit. Sailing is not allowed, and you may anchor only to avoid an accident. Sotenäsbron, the swing bridge, has 5.7 m clearance when closed, so a normal motorboat fits underneath. If you need an opening, call the bridge on VHF channel 6 as you enter the canal.

The outside route round Sotenäset

The outside route is approx. 17 nm and takes 3–4 hours. You leave Smögen, run north outside the cliffs of Ramsvikslandet to Hunnebostrand and come home through Sotekanalen. From here you see the peninsula from the sea side: smooth pink granite and open water. Ramsvikslandet and Hållö are the most visited nature reserves in Sotenäs. If you moor inside Ramsvikslandet reserve, the limit is two days.

Tip: Only do this route on a day with light winds and little swell. The outer coast is fully exposed to the Skagerrak and has few sheltered coves. Soteskär, Soteskärsskären and the Gyltran rocks are closed all year (see below).

Route	Distance	Time	Highlight	Suits
Smögen–Kungshamn–Hasselösund	approx. 3 nm	1–2 h	Smögenbryggan, boathouses	Beginners, families
Smögen–Hållö	approx. 1 nm one way	10–15 min	Lighthouse, marble pool	Swimming, half day
Kungshamn–Bohus-Malmön	approx. 4 nm one way	20–40 min	Quarries, sandy beaches	Full day, swimming
Smögen–Sotekanalen–Hunnebostrand	approx. 7 nm one way	1–1.5 h	The canal, large guest harbour	Calm or windy days
Outside route round Sotenäset	approx. 17 nm	3–4 h	Ramsvikslandet from the sea	Experienced, calm weather only

Rules and safety in Sotenäs

Speed limits at Smögen: A county board regulation (14FS 2023:62) sets 5 knots in the sound between Smögen and Kungshamn and 3 knots in Smögen harbour and Pinan. The limits apply every year from 1 June to 31 August. See the county board regulation.
Sotekanalen: Under the Swedish Transport Agency's rules (TSFS 2016:120), the whole canal has a 5-knot limit and sailing is banned. You may anchor only to avoid an accident. You must not moor to the bridge, guide walls or trees, and the jetties by the bridge are only for boats waiting for an opening. According to the Swedish Maritime Administration, the bridge opens daily 06:00–22:00 from 15 April to 15 October. The rest of the year hours are shorter, and some openings must be booked in advance.
Bird protection areas: Guleskär, Klåvskär, Mellanskär, Mjölskär and Sunneskär are closed from 1 April to 31 July. Soteskär, Soteskärsskären, Lilla and Stora Gyltran and Gyltrebrotten are closed all year. Each ban also covers a 50 m zone around the rocks. See the county board's list of animal protection areas. Länsstyrelsen is reviewing the bird and seal protection areas, so check the signs on site.
Nature reserves: On Hållö, no camping or fires outside designated places, and dogs must be on a lead. In Ramsvikslandet a boat may stay moored for at most two days.
Guest harbours: The municipal guest harbours are signed GÄSTHAMN, and visiting boats are not allowed in other harbours. Do not take numbered berths, no open fire on board or on the jetty, and keep quiet from 23:00 to 08:00. Boats still in the harbour after 17:00 must pay.
Right of public access (allemansrätten): The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency says you may anchor, go ashore and stay a night or so by a shore that is not part of someone's garden. You may borrow a private jetty outside a garden briefly, but you must move when the owner comes.
Toilet waste: Discharging toilet waste from leisure boats is prohibited. Use a pump-out station.
Licence and alcohol: No licence is needed in Sweden for a leisure boat under 12 m long or under 4 m wide, whatever the engine. Only a boat that is at least 12 m long and at least 4 m wide needs a kustskepparintyg (coastal skipper certificate) or higher. This applies to visitors too, so read do you need a boat licence in Sweden?. A 0.2 per mille blood alcohol limit applies to boats that can do 15 knots or more, or are 10 m or longer.

Best time for a boat trip in Sotenäs

The boating summer here is short and busy. The guest harbours are staffed daily in weeks 25–33, and the municipality counts weeks 27–31 as high season. The Hållö ferry runs daily from late June to late August. Most bird bans lift on 1 August, and the Smögen speed zones end after 31 August. That makes late August and early September a good time for quieter trips. Late in the season, check that the service buildings are open. For example, Smögen's shower block closes in the low season. Always check the marine forecast, because the sea outside Smögen, Hållö and Ramsvikslandet builds quickly in westerly or southerly winds.

FAQ

Can you moor your own boat at Hållö?

Yes. The county board lists a guest harbour on the east side of the island. It is a nature reserve, so there is no camping or fires outside designated places.

How much clearance is there under the Sotekanalen bridge?

Sotenäsbron has 5.7 m clearance when closed. If your boat is taller, call the bridge on VHF channel 6 or phone ahead at least an hour before you arrive.

Do you need to book a berth in Smögen guest harbour?

Berths in Smögen, Kungshamn, Hunnebostrand, Hasselösund and Malmön are booked and paid via Dockspot. Väjern is drop-in only.

Is it difficult to drive a boat around Smögen?

Inside, between Smögen, Kungshamn and Hasselösund, the water is sheltered and speed-limited. South and west of Smögen and Hållö you are on the open sea. There you should be experienced and have good weather.