Stockholm Archipelago: A day-trip to Grinda island

During a trip to Stockholm, discovering the Archipelago is a must-do to for every traveller. There are boats going to several islands around Stockholm. While the most famous day-trip is the one to Waxholm, a one hour boat-ride away, we decided to go a bit further and enjoy the quiet nature of Grinda.

How to get there

There are two boat companies that operate hundreds of places around Stockholm: the Waxholmbolaget and the Cindarellabatarna.

Without really doing it on purpose, we chose Waxholmbolaget, the cheaper option that takes longer than the other company because it stops at several places. It took us 2.5 hours to arrive on Grinda island but the boat ride itself was an amazing experience.

The green Archipelago on the coast of Stockholm is beautiful and the boats are comfortable with tables and a small kiosk to get some coffee, snacks or drinks.

Just lay back and enjoy the beautiful small islands pass by. The colourful but crowded Stockholm area quickly leaves room for smaller, greener islands where time stands still.

You can buy your tickets directly on the boat. Once the boat has left the harbour, the ticket counter is open. Be prepared to pay by card, as this was the only payment method they accepted on our boat.

The other company, Cindarellabatarna is a bit more expensive but the ride only takes 1,5 hours. Just be aware that, in Stockholm, the two companies start from different locations.

What to do

Grinda is a small island with lots of nature. Most of the island is owned by an NGO that takes care of preserving its stunning nature.

For one day on the island, the best activity is to walk or to take the bike around the island. When the weather allows, some beaches offer possibilities to bath and you can also rent kayaks to discover the island from the water.

We had taken our bikes (for free) on the ferry and therefore discovered the island by bike. This gave us a little more flexibility because we easily went from one side of the island to the other. However, we don’t think that it is essential to take your bikes and walking around the island is very easy. Also note that the island is a bit hilly, what makes cycling a bit more difficult.

During the holiday season, lots of locals seem to take their own boats to visit the island and some places, especially in the western part of the island, are therefore quite animated. But don’t worry, there are still enough quiet places if this is what you are looking for. However, we also enjoyed watching the different types of boats around the island.

Good to know

There are two piers on the island: Grinda södra in the south and Grinda norra in the North. Not all boats go to both piers and according to which boat you take, you might not have the choice. However, it is to note that you can easily walk or bike from one side of the island to the other, so it doesn’t really matter on which side you arrive.

During the summer season, there are restaurants and cafés on the island, so it is easy to find food and drinks. In the low season, however, shops seem to be closed and you better bring your own food. There are pic nic tables all around the island that offer amazing views and having a break at one of these places is definitely a great alternative.

When planning your trip, you have to take into consideration that there are not many boats that go to the island. Timetables can be found online or at the pier. On a Saturday in July, we did take a boat to Grinda at 9.30 am and the first option we had to go back to Stockholm was 4 pm (arriving at 6.30 pm).

Is Grinda island the right choice?

We definitely enjoyed our day trip to Grinda island and did not regret our choice of going there instead of going to Waxholm. The boat ride actually took us along Waxholm and its fortress which we were able to discover from the water. The place looks quite animated and was not what we were looking for that day.

On Grinda island, there is nothing specific to see but if you like the beautiful and quiet nature, it is definitely the right choice. And once again, the boat ride in itself was already quite an experience which we enjoyed a lot. We were very happy to go a bit further than Waxholm in order to see a bigger part of this stunning Archipelago.

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We visited Grinda island during our 3 weeks road trip in Southern Sweden. If you want to know more about our itinerary, also check out our article Itinerary: 3 weeks campervan experience in Southern Sweden.

You can read our full story here.

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