The archipelago by boat – from Fjäderholmarna to Sandhamn

Twenty minutes from Nybrokajen lies Fjäderholmarna, Stockholm's nearest archipelago. Out at the very edge of the open sea, Sandhamn awaits with its 1752 customs house and the sailors' clubhouse. A guide to two of the archipelago's classic boat trips.

The Stockholm archipelago begins almost at the quayside. From Nybrokajen, in the middle of the city, the boats head out past Djurgården towards islands that grow lower and barer the further out you go. This guide follows two classic routes: the short one to Fjäderholmarna, often called Stockholm's nearest archipelago, and the long one to Sandhamn, out at the edge of the open sea.

Fjäderholmarna – Stockholm's nearest archipelago

Fjäderholmarna is a group of islands in Lidingö municipality, just under a kilometre east of Djurgården. It consists of four larger islets – Stora Fjäderholmen, Ängsholmen, Libertas and Rövarns holme – and since 1995 it has been the easternmost outpost of the Royal National City Park. Boats leave from Nybrokajen, Slussen, Ropsten and Nacka Strand, and from Nybrokajen the crossing takes around 20 minutes.

The islands were first mentioned in writing in 1381. The name has changed form many times – Fierholmarna in 1661, Fiederholmen in the 1750s – and probably derives from "holmarna på fjärden" ("the islets on the bay"), where "fjärd" was later understood as "fjäder" (feather). In the 1740s there was an inn here, the last in the string of inns along the sailing routes where fishermen stopped on their way into the city with their catch. Rövarns holme is man-made, created in 1910 from blasted rock.

Today Stora Fjäderholmen has restaurants, cafés, craftspeople, exhibitions and a museum with items from old archipelago boats, and in summer the island is a popular day out for Stockholmers and visitors alike. It's the perfect first taste of the archipelago: lunch by the water and back in the city in good time for dinner.

Sandhamn – the sailors' island in the outer archipelago

Sandhamn lies on the northern side of Sandön in Värmdö municipality, far out in the outer archipelago on the Sandhamn fairway (Sandhamnsleden). Its position has made it a favourite summer haunt for sailors and holidaymakers, and it is the centre of the Royal Swedish Yacht Club's (KSSS) summer activities and the starting point for several regattas, including the Sandhamn Regatta.

Around 1670 the customs authority recognised the island's strategic position and opened a customs station, and a small village grew up around it. As early as 1710 a star-shaped redoubt had been built to defend the entrance. In the summer of 1719 everything was burnt down during the Russian raids, but it was soon rebuilt. In 1752 the large stone customs house went up, designed by the court architect Carl Hårleman, and Sandhamns Värdshus, an inn dating back to the 1600s, had to be moved to make way for it.

The pilots moved here from Eknö in the mid-19th century, and by 1880 the village had around 300 inhabitants. In the late 19th century the steamboats arrived, bringing summer visitors with them, and in 1897 the KSSS clubhouse was built to designs by Fredrik Lilljekvist – today it is a hotel. Since 1939 the Gotland Runt sailing race has finished in Sandhamn.

The sailor's bun, the inn and the nightlife

Sandhamn has several hotels and restaurants. Sandhamns Värdshus is the classic, Sandhamnsbageriet is known for its seglarbulle, the sailor's bun that returns every summer, and Seglarhotellet with Seglarrestaurangen and Dykarbaren are among the popular addresses. In summer the nightlife is lively, and the island has a reputation as a haunt of the well-heeled. There are guest harbours at Seglarhotellet and on nearby Lökholmen, served by a free shuttle boat.

Getting there

Boats to Fjäderholmarna leave from Nybrokajen in central Stockholm. Sandhamn is served by, among others, Waxholmsbolaget from Stockholm, Vaxholm and Stavsnäs. Always check the current timetables, as they differ between summer and winter.

For the area around Nybrokajen, see VERA PI's street files for Nybroplan and Strandvägen, read about Djurgården in My Stockholm, and find more city guides under Destinations at metromode.co.

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