The archipelago surrounding Kragerø consists of hundreds of islands and skerries, ranging from large inhabited islands like Jomfruland to tiny bare rock outcrops where seabirds nest. In summer the waterways fill with boats — everything from kayaks to expensive motor yachts — and the culture of the coastal summer is deeply embedded in Norwegian life here. Families arrive by boat and spend weeks on island cabins; harbours like Portør to the south fill up entirely by mid-July.
The town of Kragerø itself sits on an island connected to the mainland by a bridge, which gives it the enclosed, intimate quality of a proper island community even though it is accessible by road. Walking along the waterfront and taking the ferry to Jomfruland and back is the simplest way to see the archipelago. For something more active, kayak hire is available in the harbour area during the summer season, and multi-day kayak routes through the islands are mapped and well-marked.
Swimming is off the rocks all around the town — the Norwegians are unsentimental about it, and you will find families diving off granite ledges in water temperatures that would empty British beaches.