Öland, Sweden's sunny island

Sweden’s sunny island

The island of Öland is Sweden’s smallest province and has few permanent inhabitants. In the summer months, however, Öland attracts a large number of tourists. Most visitors use the Öland bridge, Sweden’s longest bridge, to cross the six kilometres from the mainland to the island.

Öland is usually at the top of the league table in terms of the number of hours of sunshine in the summer. The island is often sunny but it blows a lot here because there are neither mountains nor forests. This is also why there are 350 windmills on Öland.

Attractions

Among the biggest attractions you will find:

In the south

Eketorp Castle (Eketorps fornborg). A reconstructed prehistoric fortress from the Iron Age, with a 5 m high and 6 m wide ring wall.
Stora Alvaret. This vast limestone surface and heathland is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 10 km wide, 40 – 50 km long.
The Öland museum in Himmelsberga
Lighthouse Långe Jan at the southern end of the island is Sweden’s highest lighthouse (41 m). With a bird station and Naturum visitor centre for observation of migratory birds in autumn (Ottenby).

In the north

Borgholm Castle. A beautiful and haunting ruin, in which Roxette filmed their video for “Listen to your heart”. A fire destroyed the castle in 1806.
Köpingsvik in the municipality of Borgholm. One of the most popular tourist sites on the island.
Solliden Palace where the Swedish royal family spend their summer holidays. The castle is located south of Borgholm.
Lighthouse Långe Erik at the northern tip of the island
Böda Ecopark on the northern tip of the island. With numerous hiking trails and a 40 km cycle path.
Byxelkrok. The small fishing village is now one of the most popular resorts of Öland, with a waterfront guest harbour, bars, restaurants and the fabulous hotel Byxelkroks Marina Sea Resort.

Bike island and bathing island

Because Öland is flat, it is considered to be a perfect island for cycling. Its narrow width means that you can cycle to the sea from anywhere on the island.

On Öland you will easily find your favourite bathing spot. In the north, for example, there is the long sandy beach at Böda. On the west side of the island you can swim in the Kalmar Sound, which is normally a little warmer than the open sea. There is a good bathing site in Mörbylånga at the windsurfer and kitesurfer centre, Haga Park.

Camper’s paradise

There are about 25 campsites on the island. Most of them are excellent family campsites. Among these are the two 5-star campsites in the north of the island: Sonjas Camping and Böda Sand. The north of the island, the municipality of Borgholm, is the most popular camping region in Sweden, with some 800,000 guest nights at campsites every year.

Most campsites now have a wide range of cabins. They are ideal if you are travelling without a caravan or motorhome and still want to experience a camping community. You can book some of these cabins if you follow the booking link for hotels, see below.