In my previous article, our last port of call was Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago. Today we will sail to the island of Gotland. There are no luxury yachts available for charter on Gotland, but there are plenty in Stockholm, so this is the way to go.
From Sandhamn, it is about a 24-hour sail to reach Gotland. Surprisingly unknown to foreigners, this beautiful island is a favorite holiday destination among Swedes. First-time Swedish visitors often comment that it feels like being abroad, perhaps somewhere in the Mediterranean. Having grown up on Gotland, I may be biased, but from the medieval cobblestone walled city of Visby to the rugged, windy, sheep-filled landscape of Faro, Gotland truly is a spectacular and fascinating place.
Visby, the only city on the island, is quite busy in the summer, and if you like intense nightlife, you’ll definitely want to check it out. “Everyone” in Sweden shows up in Visby sometime in July: celebrities, politicians, and royals alike. However, after mid-August most of the tourists have left, so if you have your heart set on Visby but don’t want to fight the crowds, now is a good time to visit. September can be beautiful too, with the summer heat lingering well into the month. To the surprise of many, the water around Gotland gets quite warm in the summer: it can reach 80F and higher in August, and sometimes in September too. It’s a lovely experience to go for a swim when the water is warmer than the air and then enjoy a hot chocolate or mulled wine afterwards.
But you can find quiet spots with very few visitors all over the island, even in July (with varying degrees or lack of nightlife). There are several other ports around the island worth a stop: Lickershamn (about 13 miles north of Visby), a small fishing village with a few beaches, restaurants and shops, and the tallest rock formation (of which there are many) in Gotland called “Jungfrun”. Lauterhorn in Faro (a small island just north of Gotland, which Ingmar Bergman used to call home) has a great area of rock formations, an old Viking harbour, bike rentals, and a restaurant, bar, cafe, and shop. Farosund, the northernmost town on Gotland, is a bit more lively with a few restaurants and shops. Slite, on the east coast, is often overlooked by tourists as it is mainly known for its cement factory, but the town (the second largest on the island after Visby) also has a nice sandy beach, a tennis club and a few shops and restaurants, though not much in the way of nightlife.
Katthammarsvik, further down the east coast, is an old fishing town with a locally famous seafood smokehouse (try the smoked shrimp), several restaurants, cafes, shops, and sandy beaches. A little further down the coast is Ljugarn, one of the most popular vacation spots with the most active nightlife on this coast. Ljugarn has a beautiful white sand beach, a few museums, and several restaurants, pubs, and cafes. If you follow the entire coast and go back up the west coast, you will reach Burgsvik, the southernmost town on the island. Burgsvik has a nice sandy beach, a few shops and restaurants, a farmers market every Saturday in the summer, and several artisans with shops. A little south of Burgsvik is one of Gotland’s best-known rock formations, Hoburgsgubben (Hoburg Man), which an American friend says resembles Richard Nixon.
Gotland is also a popular cycling destination, and most towns have bike rentals (in Visby you can also rent cars, scooters, and motorcycles), so if you want to see more than just the coastal areas, that’s a fun way to go. to do it
Of course, there are many more ports and beautiful places to visit, both in the Stockholm archipelago and Gotland, but these are some places to start, and I hope I have inspired you to explore the Baltic on your next yachting holiday.
