Sankt Anna Archipelago

Sankt Anna is a dense archipelago - the count usually given is around six thousand islands, islets and skerries - running out from the Ostergotland coast into the Baltic, and almost all of it is uninhabited rock, juniper and pine with narrow sounds between. That density makes it good kayaking water: you can move for days through sheltered channels without crossing open sea, and the right of public access allows camping on most of it. Passenger boats run to a few of the larger inhabited islands from Tyrislot in summer. Harstena, further south, is the best known settlement. The land is still rising, so new skerries appear on a long timescale.

The landscape

• Around six thousand islands and skerries - mostly uninhabited.
• Narrow sheltered channels - kayaking water for days.
• Juniper, pine and bare rock - the standard island cover.
• A few inhabited islands - served by summer boats.

When to go

June to August. A full day or several.

What to expect

Getting into the archipelago needs a boat or kayak - the shore view shows little. Boats run a short season. Weather can trap small craft. Facilities are almost nonexistent once out among the islands.

Nearby

Harstena is south; Soderkoping and the Gota canal are inland.