Holmoarna
A group of low islands off Umea with fishing hamlets, a free ferry, and land rising visibly out of the sea.
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Holmoarna is a group of four main islands - Holmon, Angeson, Grossgrunden and Holmogadd - lying out in the Kvarken, the narrowest part of the Gulf of Bothnia. The ferry from the mainland is free, run as a public road service, and takes about an hour. The islands are low and wooded with fishing hamlets, a boat museum and a small permanent population, and the land here is rising something like eight millimetres a year, so shorelines shift within a lifetime and old harbours end up inland. The Finnish side of the Kvarken is a World Heritage site for the same reason. Birdlife on the outer skerries is good.
What you actually see
- Four low islands in the Kvarken - the narrowest part of the gulf.
- A free public ferry - about an hour from the mainland.
- Fishing hamlets and a boat museum - the settlement history.
- Land rising visibly - old harbours left inland.
When to go
June to August. A full day or overnight.
Honest expectations
The ferry runs a limited timetable and is ice-bound in winter. Services on the islands are minimal and seasonal. Accommodation is scarce. Mosquitoes are heavy in summer.
Nearby
Umea is on the mainland; the Finnish Kvarken is east across the gulf.
What to pack for Holmoarna
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
