Gothenburg sits in the centre of the West Coast Archipelago, a collection of thousands of islands characterized by rocky shores, sandy beaches, skerries, and wild natural scenery. The hardest part is choosing which beach to visit.
Island Hopping in the Archipelago
There are literally hundreds of beaches that are perfect for a day out swimming, sunbathing and having leisurely picnics. Many of the islands are easy to get to: just take a ferry from Gothenburg and enjoy a boat trip through the archipelago. Boats and ferries also connect many of the islands to each other, so you can go island hopping and check out several different beaches. Organized archipelago cruises are also offered and private boaters from around Scandinavia arrive here in the summer to enjoy the boating and the beautiful scenery.
Popular Islands and Beaches
Some of the most popular islands are Vinga, Styrsö, Brännö and Donsö, but there are so many islands here that everyone can find a quiet beach or a secluded spot for a relaxing day out.
There are both uninhabited islands and inhabited islands. Some islands have a large summer population but become quiet in the winter. There are places to stay on many islands from small inns to hotels, so you can plan for several days of island hopping and exploring as many beaches as you can. Some of the islands also have good restaurants. Don’t forget to try the seafood, which you can enjoy in the restaurants or buy straight from local fishermen.
**Some Beach Recommendations **
There is an almost unlimited choice of beaches in Gothenburg and on the islands in the West Coast archipelago, but here are some recommendations. It is easy to get to most of the beaches by ferry and some can be even reached by car or by tram. The Gothenburg archipelago, however, is free of cars.
The Smitten beach attracts a lot of young couples. Hovåsbadet, Fiskebäck and Amundön are popular with families. The Saltholmen beach is a starting point for boats towards islands such as Vrångö and Styörsö.
The Näset peninsula in Southern Gothenburg has some popular beach spots and the Smitska Udden is a nudist beach that also has a non-nude part. Bus no. 92 goes to Smitska Udden for Gothenburg.