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Is Käringön Worth Visiting with Kids? An Honest Guide to Sweden's Most Beautiful Car Free Island

  • Writer: minna
    minna
  • 1 day ago
  • 5 min read

I've been visiting Käringön since I was a kid, which makes me the wrong person to give you an objective answer about whether it's worth visiting. I have spent summers on this island in the Bohuslän archipelago pulling crabs out of the sea and eating the best crayfish I have ever tasted in my life. So my instinct has always been yes, obviously, go!


But I also know that Käringön is not for everyone. There are no cars on the island. There are five bicycles (which belong to the ferry crew). There are 280 houses, most of them built before 1920, one supermarket, a handful of restaurants, and not much else. If you're travelling with kids who need a packed schedule of activities to stay content, this island will frustrate you and you'll get bored. There other stretch of the Swedish west coast archipelago which are more built up with more to do, and if that's what you're after, this isn't your island.


What I can tell you, having now brought my husband and our kids here twice and watched my daughter spend days barefoot on the rocks just exploring is that there is something special about this place. This post covers who exactly Käringön is for, what it actually costs, what a realistic stay looks like, and whether the trip from Gothenburg is worth the effort. By the end of this post you'll know if it's your kind of place or not.


Mum and Toddler at Kärringön, Sweden


Who Käringön Is For


If your idea of a good family holiday is your toddler running barefoot exploring nature, pulling crabs out of the water, and falling asleep exhausted by 7pm, this island will deliver! I grew up on an island without cars but Käringön goes a step further with no cars and only 5 bikes allowed on the island so it feels like stepping back to a simpler time! It's the perfect place where kids can roam wild and free barefoot without having to worry about any traffic.


Fossil hunting at Kärringön, Sweden

It also suits families who don't need to be entertained. There are no big attractions, no packed itinerary of things to tick off. The entertainment is the island itself: the water, the rocks, the harbour and the fantastic food. It's the perfect place for slow travel so if you want the type of holiday that when you come back you feel refreshed then Käringön will feel like a haven. To be honest, if your kids need a schedule of activities to stay content, Käringön might not be for you.


What It Costs


This isn't a cheap island, and it's worth knowing that before you commit. These prices tend to spike over the summer months because there are only 260 houses on the island so accommodation options are both very popular and limited in availability.


View of the sea in Karingon, Sweden

There are a number of restaurants on the island so you have plenty of options to eat out from traditional Swedish restaurants to more casual places where you can pick up pizza. There's also a supermarket on the island which has just about everything you need to cook up a variety of different types of meal but the main attraction is the fishmongers where a kilo of west coast crayfish (languoustines) costs around ~£25. Whilst it is pricey these crayfish are sustainably caught in cages in the local waters and consistently cooked to perfection. We always order the day before because they sell out every day!


If you're looking for somewhere to stay, Hotell Käringön is our top pick if you're visiting (with or without kids!) because it's right on the harbour, breakfast is included, and there are sea-view family rooms that face the water. For self-catering with more space and a small children's play area, then Lägenhet med havsutsikt is my recommendation. Note: both book out months in advance for July and August so if you're reading this in spring and haven't booked yet, go and check now.


If cost is a major factor, it's worth weighing this island against a cheaper stretch of the Bohuslän coast with more accommodation options but you might lose some of the magic that Käringön offers because it's one of few Swedish islands left which feel like you're stepping back in time!


What to Expect on Käringön


Käringön is how I imagine all Swedish islands with summerhouses used to be. Mornings swimming off warm rocks while our daughter paddled in the shallows. An afternoon of crabbing off the harbour wall using fish scraps the fishmonger. Crayfish is still the best I've ever eaten in Sweden. You come to Käringön to slow down and the salty sea air and simple way of life here mean that you feel completely reenergised.


Traditional houses in Karingon, Sweden

You won't have a wide choice of restaurants or shops but there is enough for a short stay and in exchange you get a car free island where your kids can roam, swim and climb around in nature. It's the type of place that is getting harder and harder to find in the world and not that known because the Swedes tend to keep this one to themselves.


By choosing to visit Käringön you get a truly authentic Swedish experience of being in nature, bathing in the sea and enjoying a fika with calming sea views. Everyone we know who visits either regularly or once absolutely falls in love with this tiny island.


Finally, is Käringön Worth Visiting with Kids?


We'd go back without hesitating because we feel so much lighter when we visit. We love being in nature and Käringön is one of those places where you feel like you press the reset button. As a family we had plenty of cosy moments and enjoyed that quality time together. It's such a special place so I would definitely recommend visiting and spending 2-3 nights as you'll enjoy the slow travel, daily swims and taking it all in which is why Swedes come back here year after year.


Sunset view of Kärringön, Sweden

If you decide it's for you, our Where to Stay on Käringön guide covers every accommodation option on the island with booking links, and our guide to things to do on Käringön with kids has everything you need to keep the kids entertained. My main tip is to check availability for accommodation now and book early because it always fills up.


Read our other blog posts on Käringön:




If you are visiting Käringön from Gothenburg continue reading here:


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