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A paddling guide by Olle Persson, shared by Långholmen Kajak – the Swedish part of Northkayak.
Åland – so close, so similar, yet so different. The archipelago looks a lot like the Stockholm archipelago, with one big difference: it is hardly built up at all. On a half-day trip you can visit the old pilot station at Kobba klintar. For a longer trip, continue to Båtskären at the southern tip of the Mariehamn archipelago. The nature experience is outstanding, and the rich birdlife alone is worth the visit.
Åland is easy to reach from Sweden. Ferries run from Stockholm, from Kapellskär near Norrtälje and from Grisslehamn in Roslagen. With your own kayak on the car, you simply drive onto the ferry, drive off a few hours later and, after just 3 kilometres, launch at Lervik just south of Mariehamn. There is also a bus to Lervik from the town centre. If you do not have a kayak of your own, there is a kayak rental at the marina in Lervik.
Just south of Mariehamn, the capital of Åland, the islands of Nåtö and Järsö stretch like a string of pearls straight out to sea, linked by bridges and causeways. Around them lies a whole archipelago to explore – the Mariehamn archipelago. The area is ideal for day trips, but it is also a good starting point for longer tours. One warning, though: a shipping lane used by the large ferries runs along the west side of the islands. If you see a ship in the distance, wait in the shelter of a skerry until it has passed. The wake can be high, and it is hard to spot kayaks from the bridge of a ship, let alone take evasive action. Get out of the way in good time – the ships arrive faster than you think.
Lervik: the floating jetty at the kayak rental in the small-boat harbour in Lervik. There is parking here, and a ramp further out in the harbour.
Dragsvik, Järsö: a little further south, with a boat ramp. Launch at the innermost part of the small-boat harbour, on a narrow grassy slope down to the water.
Directions: follow Ålandsvägen south out of Mariehamn; it later becomes Ytternäsvägen. After about 2 km, when you see water ahead, turn right and then immediately left. The kayak rental is at the first car park on your left. By bus, get off at the stop "Lerviks småbåtshamn". For Dragsvik, continue past Lervik to the end of the road on Järsö, then turn right onto a smaller road for about 1 km.
Bring a 1:50,000 map of the area. Olle Persson has also written a guidebook (in Swedish) about hiking, cycling and paddling on Åland, published by Vildmarksbiblioteket. For general travel information, see Visit Åland.
Read on about the trip in the next post: Kayaking around Lervik and Kobba Klintar.
The Åland archipelago is perfect for a seaworthy sea kayak. Travelling light? An inflatable kayak packs into the car boot and is easy to bring on the ferry, and a kayak cart makes the walk from the car park to the water easy.
Text: Olle Persson
