A taste of Swedish island life – but on the mainland, near Stockholm

The Guardian

2 days ago

I moved to Stockholm from London for work a decade ago. As a newcomer with a passion for nature, I remember being eager to soak up the region's archipelago of 30,000 islands and rocky outposts. But I was overwhelmed by complex public ferry timetables to dozens of places ending in the letter 'ö' (the Swedish word for island) and uninterested in pricey cruise boats packed with tour groups.
Then a former flatmate recommended Nynäshamn, which is on the mainland but embodies much of the nature and spirit of Stockholm's archipelago. It's home to a tasteful waterfront of colourfully painted bars and restaurants and a harbour packed with boats every summer, from simple dinghies to luxury yachts. Beyond, you can look across a clean, calm stretch of Baltic Sea, towards the island of Bedarön, flanked by pine trees and a smattering of dark red detached houses.
Mention Nynäshamn to Stockholmers and most will probably describe it as the port you pass through to catch the four-hour ferry to Gotland – Sweden's largest island – or an overnight cruise to Gdańsk in Poland. But for international tourists (or new Swedish residents, as I was), it is an entry-level coastal destination where you can get a taste of the city's island life without the complex logistics.
Nynäshamn is on the commuter rail line from central Stockholm, and reachable in an hour. A one-way journey costs 43 kroner (£3.30), or it's free if you have a valid monthly or weekly pass for the capital's public transport system. For a little more adventure, it takes a further 30 minutes to reach Nåttarö, the closest island accessible by a public ferry service (£8 each way).
My first destination in Nynäshamn is Trehörningen, an island suburb accessible by bridge, and just a 30-minute stroll from the train station. The route takes in a mishmash of glassy new-build apartments, low-rise 1960s rent-controlled flats and mansions with manicured gardens. Nynäshamn doesn't have the swagger of swankier seaside towns in the region, such as Sandhamn or Saltsjöbaden, but it offers a slice of real-life small town Sweden far removed from the well-trodden tourist itineraries that typically lead to Stockholm's medieval Old Town or isolated rural retreats.
'It's very good for my health,' says Hans 'Hasse' Larsson, a smiley 73-year-old former truck driver who moved to Nynäshamn from Stockholm 16 years ago. He enjoys the clean air and quiet lifestyle, and describes a stronger sense of community compared with the somewhat stiffer Swedish capital. 'Even if you don't know people very well, you'll say 'hej'!' he laughs.
Sweden isn't a budget destination, but thanks to a favourable exchange rate, prices aren't extortionate compared with those in popular British seaside destinations I've visited, such as Brighton or St Ives. On Trehörningen island, it costs from just over £100 a night to rent a compact wooden cottage for two from Oskarsgatan 12 B&B. A breakfast buffet and spa entry package at the nearby Nynäs Havsbad hotel works out at around £45. The spa's pavilion is a reconstruction of an art nouveau-inspired resort built in 1906, complete with an outdoor hot tub, a sauna and panoramic views. The hotel complex includes original buildings from the early 20th century, when it was a base for sailors during the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games.
From here, it's a short walk to Strandvägen, a French riviera-inspired waterfront road built for spectators of sailing. As locals will proudly tell you, it is the only place in the Stockholm archipelago region where you can see the horizon from the mainland. The scenic route winds towards Lövhagen, a wooded area offering shady trails and picnic tables. There are rocky swimming coves too – although, with average outdoor temperatures of 18C in July and August, the chilly waters won't be to everyone's taste.
For walkers, Nynäshamn is also a gateway to Sörmlandsleden, a system of hiking trails covering around 620 miles in total and clearly marked with orange arrows and painted tree markers. Section 5:1 from Nynäshamn passes through mossy forests and grassy farmland to the village of Osmö, where you can catch a train back to Nynäshamn or continue another nine miles to Hemfosa, snaking past Lake Muskan's glistening waters.
Back at Nynäshamn's main harbour, the restaurants are filling up with tourists hungry for lunch. The most famous spot is Nynäs Rökeri, a smokehouse dating back almost 40 years, where a platter of smoked salmon, seafood and potato salad costs less than £20. The adjacent delicatessen stocks fresh fish and classic Swedish treats, from cheesy västerbotten pie to crispbreads and lingonberry jam. A nearby courtyard is shared with customers visiting the ice-cream store Lejonet & Björnen, a small cafe and a gift shop.
The sweet smell of cinnamon wafts in the air and I spot the familiar logo of Skeppsbro Bageri, an award-winning Stockholm bakery that has a food truck parked on the waterfront, packed with fresh bread, buns and pastries. 'I like it here,' says Emelie Elison, the 24-year-old student who is working in the van for her third summer in a row. 'There are a lot of people and there's always something happening.'
Sweden's cities empty out in July, as locals flock to the coast to spend the summer in wooden holiday cottages. There are more than 600,000 of these holiday homes, known as fritidshus, which are often passed down through generations; almost half of children with at least one Swedish parent have access to one. They also have plenty of time to enjoy them – most Swedish employees are entitled to four consecutive weeks off each summer.
After a grey morning, the sun comes out as I join the ferry queue for Nåttarö. Many around me are armed with bags of groceries, backpacks and even suitcases, intending to stay at least a week. But one sporty-looking couple, carrying only tiny running backpacks, tell me they are fellow day-trippers from Stockholm, planning to run a six-mile loop of the Stockholm Archipelago Trail, a newly marked hiking and trail-running route stretching 167 miles across 20 islands.
Most tourists visiting Nåttarö take things at a slower pace. It's a small, car-free island with one simple convenience store and two restaurants by the harbour. The main draws are the pine-lined walking trails, rocky clifftops and sandy beaches. There are 50 wooden cabins for hire (sleeping up to six people, £90 a night). The campsite is priced at less than £5 a night, including access to pristine showers, compost toilets and dishwashing facilities. Wild camping is allowed too, thanks to allemansrätten, Sweden's right to roam policy.
I take a 1¼-mile trail to Skarsand, a small beach in the north-east of the island. I have fond memories of celebrating a friend's 40th birthday here a couple of years ago, when we camped with friends and their kids, cooking dinner on the beach's public grill. Today, despite being peak holiday season, I have it all to myself, save for some passing hikers.
The sunny afternoon passes quickly, and a couple of hours later I'm back on the ferry for Nynäshamn. The Stockholm pair have made it too, having successfully completed their run. They are eagerly awaiting a pizza reward at Maggan's, another popular restaurant in Nynäshamn's harbour, and tell me they've squeezed clean T-shirts into their backpacks to change into. I'm planning a sunny evening drink on the waterfront too. Tomorrow I'll be at my desk, catching up on emails – and researching my next coastal adventure.