If I had expected an anonymous giant marina in Arkösund, I was proved wrong. Here, too, there are day trippers, ice cream, beer and a food truck grilling game. There are some stately wooden villas on the shore. A boardwalk leads over to the Badholmarna, the bathing islands, complete with a small sandy beach and sauna between the rocks. A RIB picks us up and shows us a place between other yachts, including a Hallberg-Rassy with a US flag.
Summer concert in Arkösund
The most important destination for boat guests is the supermarket, Arkösunds Livs, 300 metres up the road, past the hotel towering above. Also behind the trees: the open-air theatre, to which many people are travelling with folding chairs.
A free summer concert is taking place today. The headliner is Jay Smith, who sounds like Bruce Springsteen and fits in perfectly with the rustic surroundings. We're not in front of the stage, but we can still hear everything on the terrace of Arkö Krog next door.
Also interesting:Also interesting:
From Arkö to the north-east
Another bright day follows, we will make the most of it. On the way to Landsort, which will run in a reasonably straight line to the north-east, we want to stop by the small island of Hävringe. No archipelago slalom, more open sea. The endless expanse still glistens all around us.
We head north-east around the southern tip of Arkö. Even if the weather is innocent - it's supposed to freshen up from midday and strong winds are forecast from midnight. Hopefully we'll be in the hole by then.
A solution can always be found
After about 15 nautical miles we have almost reached Hävringe, its striking multi-storey beacon can be seen for a long time like a silhouette against the light. At the entrance, which is barely wider than our traders, we are greeted by the sign "Fullt" - full.
But the friendly man who welcomes us (reservations are not possible) finds a solution: we can moor for a short time at the mooring quay, which is free except for one Axopar. On the "Gästplats" opposite, marked with a sign, four yachts with stern anchors are moored next to each other.
Island tour on Hävringe
That's perfect for us. Time is pressing anyway. But that doesn't apply to the other people on the island: families with children, a trio in camouflage colours and fishing gear, a woman with a telescope for birdwatching. Girls splash around on the metre-long pebble beach and people wait in peace on the verandas to see what the day will bring.
Of course, life was once hard on Hävringe too. Fishermen, pilots, lighthouse keepers: in a time when holidays had not yet been invented, everything out here had to be wrested from the sea, just like on other coasts around the world.
No, no everyday life in sight.
But who says that people didn't put their feet up on a day like today? Time has stood still for a while on the archipelago. With the small difference that today we are lucky enough to be able to enjoy ourselves as we please.
The path winds its way up to the wooden beacon, then to an old gun emplacement, of which only the bed surrounded by yellow flowers remains, and then to the panoramic view of the highest rock. No, no everyday life in sight.
Area information: Östergötland
The Cruising Club of Switzerland (CCS)
On this trip, we travelled with the Cruising Club of Switzerland (CCS). With around 6,500 members, the Bern-based Central Club is one of the largest water sports clubs in Switzerland and is a leader in the country's recreational boating sector when it comes to offshore training.
The motorboat division forms a subdivision of the club with its own yacht, which is used for training and cruises in northern and western Europe. In the 2026 travel season, the cruising programme for members will take them from the North Sea across the English Channel to southern Brittany and back to the Solent, with side trips to London and Paris. ccs-motoryacht.ch
The yacht
"Rolling Swiss 2" (Trader 42; semi-glider made of GRP). Length: 13.30 m - Width: 4.30 m - Height: 3.80 m - Draft: 1.20 m - Berths: 6 (in 3 double cabins) - WC/shower: 2/2 - CE category: A - Motorisation: 2 x 380 hp (Cummins diesel) - Special equipment: VHF radio system, autopilot, plotter with radar and AIS overlay (active and passive), generator, epirb, bow thruster, dinghy with 15 hp outboard in davits.
The precinct
The area travelled on this two-week cruise covers the section of the Swedish south-east coast between Kalmar and Stockholm (in this first part of the report to Hävringe near Landsort). From south to north, it touches the provinces of Kalmar, Östergötland and Södermanland.
While there are comparatively few islands in Kalmar Sound, the number of archipelagos increases towards the north. The archipelago of Östergötland includes the Saint Anna Archipelago, which lies off the eastern entrance to the Göta Canal. The direct distance between Kalmar and Hävringe is 220 kilometres or 120 nautical miles.
The navigation
The coast and archipelago are shaped by the ice age and characterised by a flat rocky landscape. Continuous fairways are marked on the nautical chart and are buoyed and lighted depending on their importance. Careful navigation is required away from these fairways, for example when steering away from bays or natural harbours. Good preparation is essential when planning your route.
Harbours and anchorages
Apart from that, the area offers a large number of guest harbours, marinas and other mooring options. As it can still get very crowded, especially in summer during the holiday season, alternatives should be prepared for overnight stays. Town harbours on the mainland generally have a comprehensive range of services with good supply options.
Literature and nautical charts
- Delius Klasing Sport Boat Chart Sets 11 "East Coast Sweden 1" (format A2, ISBN 978-3-667-13023-5, 129.90 euros) and 12 "East Coast Sweden 2" (format A2, ISBN 978-3- 667-13190-4, 139.90 euros). delius-klasing.de
- Harbour guide "Hamnguiden 7th Landsort - Skanör, Öland, Gotland, Bornholm", ISBN 978-82-7997-243-3, 75 euros. lmf.no
Also interesting:
- Baltic Sea: Ten favourite destinations for the sailing summer
- Natural harbours: How to moor properly at the skerry
- national parks: Sweden's desert island Gotska Sandön
Christian Tiedt
Editor Travel
