Hiking on Nordkoster
Strömstad

Sweden’s first Marine National Park

Further north on the Bohuslän coast, just outside Strömstad, lie the popular Koster Islands, surrounded by the Kosterhavet National Park, Sweden's most biodiverse sea area. The archipelago nature around the islands is something extraordinary. Kosterhavet became the country’s first marine national park in 2009. It’s easy to reach the two main islands, Nordkoster and Sydkoster, with Kosterbåtarna ferries, which depart from the northern harbor in Strömstad all year round.

Impressive Scree Stone Fields on Nordkoster

Explore Nordkoster’s dramatically varied nature through three circular trails. The yellow trail is 5.3 kilometers long, and there is also a blue trail of 2.3 kilometers and a white trail of 1.3 kilometers. The last Ice Age left impressive traces in the form of scree stone fields at Valnäs Bay, which are definitely worth seeing. Valnäs, with its marshland, is also home to the rare buttercup known as the Bohus Ranunculus.

The best swimming spots are at Basteviken, Norrvikarna, and Hasslevikarna. From the lighthouses on Högen, the highest point on Koster, you’re treated to a stunning view where, on a clear evening, you can see the sun setting behind the Norwegian mountain peaks to the north.