If you visit Gothenburg and want to make a day trip to Bohuslän, we recommend the island of Åstol. Åstol is a small and picturesque skerry island and very typical for Bohuslän. It is situated between the island of Marstrand in the south and the island of Tjörn in the north.
On Åstol you will find a busy natural harbour, a well-known restaurant with smokery, bar and shop, a café, and a sheltered and child-friendly bathing place. About 300 inhabitants live on the island permanently. Fifty, sixty years ago, in the heyday of fishing, there were almost twice as many.
Passenger ferry from Rönnäng
Åstol is car-free. You get to the island with a ferry from Rönnäng on the southwestern tip of Tjörn. The ferry takes 20 minutes to Åstol.
If you are coming by car from Gothenburg, it takes about 50 minutes to Rönnäng. Parking in Rönnäng is somewhat difficult, which is quite common on the Bohuslän coast. However, at the entrance of the village you will find a large parking lot from where you need to walk to the harbour for about 20 minutes. There is also a direct bus to Rönnang from the Nils Ericson bus terminal at Gothenburg Central Station.
Åstols Rökeri smokery, restaurant and shop
Our photos were taken on a beautiful day in July. We bought prawns, fish, freshly baked bread and dip sauces from the smokery at the harbour of Åstol. Our picnic has never tasted better than here on the warm rocks and in the fresh air – and with views over the Kattegat (to the south) and the Skagerrak (to the north).
During the months of November and December, you can also eat a delicious Julbord (Christmas buffet) in the restaurant of the smokehouse. More info: Åstols Rökeri.
Hotels on Åstol
On Åstol there are only private rooms available. The nearest hotel can be found in Rönnäng on Tjörn. From the hotel it is about 300 m to the passenger ferries that sail to the islands Åstol, Dyrön and Marstrand. Other accomodation options are available near Rönnäng and in Skärhamn.
Book now: Hotels, hostels, B&Bs in Rönnäng and Skärhamn
