You can paddle almost anywhere among Stockholm’s islands and sleep on a granite skerry for free. But sanctuaries, nature reserves, a new national park and the big ships all set limits. Here is where they are.
When you need this
You are planning a day paddle or a few nights among the islands east of Stockholm. Maybe you have spotted an islet on the chart and want to know if you may land, or you are looking for somewhere to pitch a tent from the water. You might be about to cross a channel where ships run, or checking whether today’s wind is too much. Or you want to rent a kayak, or bring your own out on a public archipelago boat.
What allemansrätten allows on the water
Sweden’s right of public access, allemansrätten, covers paddlers too. You may land, swim, anchor and moor temporarily on any shore that is not part of someone’s garden plot (tomt). Jetties and boathouses that belong to a house are private. There is no minimum distance from houses in the rules; the test is whether you disturb the people who live there.
Camping works the same way as on land: a night or two, away from homes, not on farmland. The legal duty behind all of it is short. Under the Environmental Code, anyone using the right must show consideration and care for nature. Our allemansrätten guide and wild camping guide cover the detail.
That is the starting point. In the archipelago, three layers of rules sit on top of it.
| Layer | What it restricts | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Bird and seal sanctuaries | Landing, often boats within 100 m, for part of the year | Yellow or red-and-yellow signs, the nautical chart, the county board’s pages |
| Nature reserves and the national park | Camping length, fires, dogs, sometimes boats | Information boards, the county board’s page for each area |
| Sea traffic rules | Where and how you cross fairways; lights after dark | Transportstyrelsen’s sea traffic rules |
Bird and seal sanctuaries: the dates that matter
Fågelskyddsområden (bird sanctuaries) and sälskyddsområden (seal sanctuaries) close islets to the public for part of the year, usually while birds nest. The ban usually means you may not go ashore at all during that period. Many Stockholm areas also ban boats, kayaks included, within 100 metres of the islets.
The dates are set in each area’s own decision, and Stockholm’s are not the national default. Naturvårdsverket, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, gives 1 April–15 July as the most common closure for birds. In the Stockholm archipelago, the landing ban often runs 1 April–31 July. Some areas close longer: in the Nåttarö nature reserve in the southern archipelago, a group of islets is closed, water included within 100 metres, from 1 February to 15 August, and two other islands from 1 April to 31 July.
You will recognise a sanctuary by its yellow or red-and-yellow sign, and its boundary is marked on the nautical chart (sjökort). Before you go, check Naturvårdsverket’s Skyddad natur map, which shows areas with access bans and links each decision. If birds call in alarm or leave the nest as you approach, you are too close. Keep dogs in the kayak when you land on small islets.
Nature reserves and the new national park
Much of the public land in the archipelago is a nature reserve. Every area owned by the Skärgårdsstiftelsen foundation is a reserve, and each reserve has its own regulations (föreskrifter). They override the general right of public access. The boards with the rules stand at the main landing places, so if you land on the far side of an island you may never see one. Read the rules online first.
Nåttarö’s rules are typical: no camping more than two nights in a row except at the marked site, fires only at marked fireplaces, dogs on a leash, and no breaking branches or damaging trees.
The newest layer is Nämdöskärgårdens nationalpark, protected in 2025 as Sweden’s first marine national park in the Baltic. It covers 25,300 hectares off Värmdö, 97% of it water, with 1,353 islands and skerries. Many kayaking guides predate it. Its rules:
- Camping up to two nights in one place in almost the whole park, and up to seven nights at the campsite on Bullerö; camping and hammocks are banned in some areas.
- Fires only at marked sites or in a grill on legs; camping stoves are fine.
- Dogs always on a leash, and no pets at all on Tärnskär from 1 April to 31 July.
- In some especially sensitive areas, no craft of any kind — boat, kayak or SUP board.
- Seasonal bird sanctuaries, as elsewhere.
Bullerö is the park’s entrance, with trails, a campsite, a heated rest cabin and a wood-fired sauna open all year. There is no scheduled boat between the park’s islands, and fresh water is limited; Långviksskär has none. The park’s own sea traffic regulations had not entered into force in September 2026.
A fire ban from the county board or municipality overrides every reserve rule that allows fires. Check the fire-ban map the same morning. Our campfire rules guide explains the levels.
Sharing the water with ships
Large ships, ferries and archipelago boats run through narrow channels. At sea a kayak counts as a vessel like any other. Transportstyrelsen’s sea traffic rules say a vessel under 20 metres must not impede a ship that can only navigate safely within a narrow fairway, and must not cross it if that would impede such a ship.
The reason is practical. A kayak sits low, does not show on radar, and vanishes in wave troughs or against the sun. Assume the crew cannot see you.
- Plan your route to avoid paddling in fairways (farleder) and keep out of the way of boats.
- When you must cross, do it without dawdling, as a group, and look behind you as well as ahead.
- Wear bright colors and put reflectors on the paddle blades; a moving paddle in a signal color is easier to see.
- To get a boat’s attention, hold the paddle straight up and wave it from side to side.
- After dark you must show a white light in time to avoid a collision. A torch or headlamp is enough.
Wind and weather
No official wind limit exists for kayaks, so the decision is yours. SMHI, the Swedish weather service, names wind up to 13.8 metres per second a breeze (bris) at sea, and 13.9–24.4 m/s a gale (kuling). Its sea-wind warnings start at a mean wind of 14 m/s. Those are thresholds for boats, not for kayaks.
Two more points from SMHI’s own advice: gusts are often much stronger than the mean wind in the forecast, and the forecast is split into coastal strips. For the Stockholm archipelago, read Söderarm–Sandhamn in the north and Sandhamn–Landsort in the south. Sjöräddningssällskapet, the Swedish sea rescue society, puts it simply: do not go out in weather you cannot handle.
Life jackets and cold water
No general law makes you wear a life jacket in a kayak, but every Swedish safety body says you always should. Studies cited by Krisinformation.se found that almost half of those who drowned after falling from a boat would have survived with one. Choose a CE-marked jacket (flytväst) that fits, in a bright color, with a whistle and reflectors. Children and non-swimmers need a rescue vest with a collar (räddningsväst).
Dress for the water, not the air. Swedish water stays cold well into summer, and the gasp reflex from sudden immersion can make a person drown within seconds. Pack a dry change of clothes in a waterproof bag. Carry your phone charged, in a waterproof case, on your body. Calling 112 connects you to sea rescue, so be ready to describe where you are. Our cold safety guide explains cold shock and hypothermia.
Alcohol is a separate trap. Sweden’s fixed 0.2 per mille drunk-boating limit applies only to boats that can do 15 knots or are at least 10 metres long, so not to kayaks. But on any vessel it is still sjöfylleri (drunk boating) if you are too affected to handle it safely. Transportstyrelsen notes that alcohol also shortens survival time in the water.
Renting a kayak and getting it out there
You do not need your own kayak. Stockholm has staffed rental shops in and around the city, and self-service stations you book online or by app. In the archipelago, rental shops operate from harbours in the north, centre and south. Some rent for up to two weeks and rent tents and stoves too, so you can start a multi-day trip without flying gear in. Guided tours last up to two weeks. We do not name operators; compare them yourself.
Taking your own kayak on the public archipelago boats is possible, but a kayak is goods, not luggage. Waxholmsbolaget, Region Stockholm’s archipelago boat service, charges a fixed goods price per kayak, canoe or windsurf board. Goods should in most cases be booked ahead: an unbooked kayak travels only if there is room, is paid for on board, and booked goods go first. The crew can refuse anything too bulky. Ordinary bikes, by contrast, ride free. Our archipelago ferries guide covers tickets for you.
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating the whole archipelago as open allemansrätten land. Reserves, the national park and sanctuaries all restrict it.
- Trusting an older guide to the outer skerries off Nämdö. It has been a national park since 2025.
- Looking only for a sign where you land. Reserve boards stand at the main landing places.
- Using the national sanctuary dates. Stockholm closures often last until 31 July or 15 August.
- Turning up at the boat with a kayak and no booking. It may be left on the jetty.
Practical information
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Permit to paddle, land or camp a night or two | None; allemansrätten applies outside protected areas |
| Typical Stockholm sanctuary closures | 1 April–31 July, some 1 February–15 August; often 100 m no-boat zone |
| Camping in Nämdöskärgårdens nationalpark | Up to 2 nights in one place; up to 7 at the Bullerö campsite |
| Kayak on a Waxholmsbolaget boat | 350 kr per kayak as goods; book ahead (checked 2026-09-25) |
| Kayak rental | Varies by operator, craft and length of hire |
| SMHI sea-wind warning (yellow) | From 14 m/s mean wind |
| Emergency and sea rescue | 112 |
FAQ
Can I camp on any island in the Stockholm archipelago?
Not any island. Allemansrätten lets you camp a night or two away from houses and outside garden plots. Many islands are nature reserves or part of Nämdöskärgårdens nationalpark, where camping is limited to two nights in one place, banned in some areas and allowed longer only at marked campsites. Sanctuary islets are closed entirely in the breeding season.
When are the bird sanctuaries in the Stockholm archipelago closed?
It depends on the area. In the Stockholm archipelago the landing ban often runs 1 April–31 July, but some areas close from 1 February to 15 August, and many also ban boats within 100 metres. The dates are on the yellow or red-and-yellow signs, on the chart and in each area’s rules on the county board’s pages.
Can I take a kayak on the Waxholm boat?
Yes, as goods rather than luggage. Waxholmsbolaget charges 350 kronor for a kayak, canoe or windsurf board, checked September 2026. Goods should in most cases be booked in advance; an unbooked kayak travels only if there is room and is paid for on board, and the crew may refuse items that are too bulky.
Is it safe to paddle across a shipping fairway?
Only if you keep clear. Swedish sea traffic rules say a vessel under 20 metres must not impede a ship that can only navigate safely in a narrow fairway. Ships cannot see kayaks on radar or against the sun. Plan the route to avoid fairways, look behind you when crossing, cross without dawdling and stay together as a group.
How much wind is too much for kayaking?
There is no official limit for paddlers. SMHI calls winds up to 13.8 metres per second a breeze at sea and 13.9 upward a gale, and issues sea-wind warnings from 14 metres per second. Those are thresholds for boats, not kayaks. Stay within what you can handle, and remember that gusts are often much stronger than the forecast mean.
Do I have to wear a life jacket in a kayak in Sweden?
No general law makes you wear one, but Transportstyrelsen and Sjöräddningssällskapet say you always should. Almost half of those who drowned after falling out of a boat would have survived with one. Choose a CE-marked jacket in your size, in a bright color, with a whistle and reflectors; non-swimmers and children need a rescue vest.
Can I drink alcohol while kayaking?
The fixed 0.2 per mille limit covers boats that can do 15 knots or are at least 10 metres long, so not kayaks. But it is still drunk boating on any vessel if you are too affected to handle it safely, and Transportstyrelsen notes that alcohol shortens survival time if you fall in. Save the drink for the campsite.
Related guides
- Allemansrätten — the full right of public access, on land and water
- Wild camping in Sweden — pitching a tent legally, once you have found your skerry
- Cold safety in Sweden — cold-water shock and what to do after a capsize
- Stockholm archipelago ferries — tickets and timetables to the launch points
- The Stockholm archipelago — the islands themselves, beyond the kayak
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Länsstyrelsen Stockholm, Naturvårdsverket, Transportstyrelsen, SMHI, Krisinformation.se, Sjöräddningssällskapet, Friluftsfrämjandet and Waxholmsbolaget — full register in this topic’s source file. Stockholm sanctuary closures start again on 1 February 2027. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.