Day trip to Skjärhalden and a lovely walk

Remember that the choice of activities, and opening times of restaurants, shops and hotels vary over the year. Check the companies’ own websites for current information.

Strömstad is right next to the sea in northern Bohuslän, not far from the border to Norway. You can get there easily from Gothenburg on a Västtrafik train or bus in about two and a half hours. Strömstad is the perfect stopover for making a daytrip to Skjärhalden on the Norwegian island of Kirkeöy, which is part of the Hvaler Islands.

You can get to Skjärhalden from Norra Hamnen in the centre of Strömstad. The ferry Vesleö II leaves from there, run by Nadir Hvaler Fjordcruise. It sails on Fridays and Saturdays all year round and six days a week during the summer and takes about one hour each way. Remember that you cross a national border, so you need to bring your ID card or passport and buy a personal ticket on the boat.
If you want to buy a packed lunch to take with you for the day trip, there are cafés and supermarkets around Norra Hamnen in Strömstad. You can also have coffee and cake or a light lunch on the ferry and go to the duty-free shop on board.

Charming coastal village

Skjärhalden is a charming little village on the island of Kirkeö, which belongs to the scenic Hvaler Islands in Ytre Hvaler National Park. It has a port and a number of shops and restaurants. Even though Skjärhalden is most popular in the summer season, there are two supermarkets that are open all year round and a couple of restaurants stay open for most of the year.
Ytre Hvalers National Park has a visitor centre in Skjärhalden where you can learn more about the national park from different exhibitions. Hvaler The National Park Centre is open at the same time as the tourist office during the summer.

Walk alongside the sea

You can also go walking along the coastal paths in Skjärhalden, and there are lots of great places to have a dip around the island. One warmly recommended route is the Coastal path from Skjärhalden to Rödshue and Stenkonst Hvaler. The views as you walk along the coast are stunning! Along the way you pass Storesands beach and Homlungens lighthouse. There and back is about 12 kilometres in total and some parts are through rocky areas, so count on being out for the best part of the day - and don’t forget your picnic basket! You can find more information about Skjärhalden and various opening hours on the Visit Östfold website.

When you get back to the lively streets of Strömstad, you can round off the day with a nice dinner at one of Strömstad’s restaurants. There are many accommodation options to choose from if you want to stay over, either in the centre or the outskirts, in a hotel or on a campsite.
If you’ve seen enough islands for this time around you can return to Gothenburg the next day on a Västtrafik bus or train. Otherwise, you can continue your boat tour to the Koster Islands. In the summer months you’ll enjoy exploring the many islands in Kosterhavet.