Starting in October, nature lovers and fitness enthusiasts will have a new opportunity to discover Sweden on the Stockholm Archipelago Trail (SAT), a new 270-km hiking route through one of the world’s largest island groups with about 30,000 islands, islets, and skerries. There will be 20 sections of the route that reveal 21 spectacular islands where “pristine nature awaits.”

Visit Sweden says the best hiking season is during “Magic Season” – between summer and autumn – as the water stays warm for about 14 days longer than on the mainland, and the calm after the hectic holiday weeks in the summer has subsided. The sun is still warm, and visitors can experience the unique nature at their own pace.

The North-South boat line runs along the SAT in summer, and visitors can overnight on each section, meaning a journey covering the entire trail can take extend to three weeks if desired.

There are also activities such as kayaking and boating, and colourful villages and unique lodgings and restaurants to be discovered.

To make it easy to get out to the outer archipelago, there are also “Stockholm Archipelago Trail heads” with west-east transportation. Important trail heads include Norrtälje, Stockholm City, Vaxholm, Stavsnäs, Årsta, Dalarö, and Ankarudden.

Reaching “beyond the usual tourist spots” Fjäderholmarna and Vaxholm, each portion of the Trail can be reached by public ferry.

Highlights of the Trail include:

• Sandhamn: A historic place in the archipelago’s outermost part. With its special location, the island is a paradise with barren rocks and white beaches. Life buzzes in the harbour during the summer, but extensive beach walks and windswept pine forests await on the SAT. Approximately 108 permanent residents live on Sandhamn today. Stay at Sandhamns Seglarhotell.
• Utö: One of the largest islands in Stockholm’s southern archipelago. The island has a rich history, having served as a base for sea pilots, customs officials, and soldiers since the 17th century. Iron ore extraction peaked between 1750-1850. Today, 175 people are registered here. Stay at Utö Värdshus.
• Ålö: An island in the southern part of the archipelago with Utö to the east. Known for its rich plant and bird life, Ålö has been a nature reserve since 2008. Only two households live on the island, making it a very wild section.
• Nåttarö: A nature reserve that attracts visitors with fantastic beaches and varied nature. Storsand in the east is one of the archipelago’s longest sandy beaches with large sand dunes. No permanent residents live on this wild section of the trail.

For full details of the Trail, click HERE.