The Middle Archipelago
The multitude of islands in the middle archipelago allows you to experience everything from lush meadows and mixed forests on larger islands with tastes on the outer archipelago's beauty of untouched smaller islets and barren cliffs. You can go to restaurants on several islands or bring your own picknick. If you want to stay overnight, there's a hotel or hostel on some islands.
Thanks to “the right of public accress”, you can put up a tent and camp (as us about this if you're interested) as well as swim from rocky outcrops and sandy beaches you on plentiful islands.
Grinda
The island of Grinda is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the archipelago. It has lush forests, open meadows, and beautiful bays. You find plenty of things to do here: easy walking trails, swim from the rocks or the lovely sandy beach, paddle kayak, do sauna, or berry picking.
In the south part of the island you find the eye-catching, beautiful Art Nouveau villa built in 1905 by the Nobel Foundation's first director, Henrik Santesson (designed by the architect Ernst Stenhammar). He'd bought the island from farmers. In 1944, the municipality of Stockholm became owner. The foundation Skärgårdsstiftelsen got the island in 1998. It manages the island which is a nature reserve.
In the Art Nouveau villa has both an inn – Grinda Wärdshus – and an excellent hotel. A tip: do book a room or table in advance here. Just by the sea is the restaurant Framfickan (the Front Pocket) with simplier, less pricy food. Here, artists sometimes entertain while the sun sets. The Grinda bakery is next door. Nearby, you have a small store where you can buy food for a picnic or go to the café.
Finnhamn
Finnhamn is one of the archipelago's most visited islands; it's far out in the archipelago and easy to reach. The name comes from the Finnish sailing ships that used the well-protected natural harbour at the island Stora Jolpan. Today, Finnhamn is the name for the islands Stora Jolpan, Lilla Jolpan, and Idholmen (connected by footbridges).
The large, yellow house on the northeast side of the Stora Jolpan was built around 1915 by the merchant in coal and coke Wilhelm Rönström. The architect was – as on Grinda – Ernst Stenhammar. Now, it's a hostel (Utsikten/the View). On top of the hill, the tall chimney of Rönström's yacht "Mavourneen" serves both as a landmark and monument for the archipelago era in the early 2000s.
In 1943, the islands was bought by the municipality of Stockholm for the public. As on Grinda, the City built a holiday village for low-income Stockholm families. In 1998, the foundation Skärgårdsstiftelsen received the islands. Thus, it became a nature reserve managed by the Foundation.
At the inn Finnhamns Krog you can enjoy good food or a drink with a view up on the rooftop bar. A tip: book a table, the restaurant is popular! There's a small shop – Ragnar's kiosk – that sells ice cream, coffee, salads, and groceries. Here, you can also rent a boat, kayak, or SUP. You can swim from the rocks or the sandy beaches on several places on the islands or use the sauna.