Family kayaking holidays in Sweden fully immerse you in nature and, as Sam Bradley recently found out, throw up some very rewarding and surprising experiences too.
A perfect sunset, kayaking holiday, Stockholm Archipelago
Sweden plays like a fairy tale on a family kayaking holiday
“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…”. Well, Sweden isn’t that far away, but our day has played out like a fairy tale nonetheless.
We’re relaxing on a remote island, watching the sun dip slowly below the horizon in a fiery blaze of colour. Apart from ourselves there isn’t another person in sight, and the peaceful tranquillity is blissful.
We’ve spent the day kayaking through inlets and along peninsulas, keeping a rough eye on our map but otherwise letting the path choose itself. The tired ache in my muscles after a day of paddling feels strangely satisfying, as does my sun-drenched skin. As the last rays of colour fade from view, a multitude of fish start jumping along the water’s surface in the bay in front of us. The cause of their distress is soon revealed; a lone seal playfully splashing and snorting it’s way along the inlet as it hunts for dinner.
A perfect end to a day spent exploring an enchanted kingdom so beautiful it really could be straight from the pages of a storybook.
Tent with a view, family kayaking holiday
Aladdin, Shrek and Donkey – a fairy tale Sweden Kayak Trail
Adam and Jakob started The Kayak Trail out of a desire to make the beautiful Swedish outdoors accessible to more people. They have succeeded magnificently, providing a truly luxurious glamping experience to newbies like ourselves.
Arriving straight from the airport with nothing more than a few clothes, we felt like Aladdin gratefully receiving wishes from a genie as we loaded up our kayaks. From delicious meals of local Swedish food (complete with menu cards, and a few extra sweet treats thrown in) to easy-to-use equipment, they’ve thought of everything.
We were given waterproof maps (with the best islands to pitch a tent marked out) and even items as thoughtful as biodegradable toiletries and pillows. And while Aladdin may have had a magic carpet, our kayaks felt just as supernatural, somehow fitting in all our kit with room to spare. We bravely set off into the great unknown, feeling like Shrek and Donkey embarking on a great adventure!
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Adam from The Kayak Trail passing on pre-trip advice
Make like the Jungle Book and focus on bare necessities
“Look for the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities. Forget about your worries and your strife…” The Jungle Book characters seem to have a lot of life’s priorities sorted, and a few days camping and kayaking had a similar effect on us.
When the day’s biggest decisions are where to pitch your tent or when to stop for lunch, and with plenty of sunshine and hard physical exertion ensuring a good night’s sleep, it doesn’t take long to cast aside the stresses and strains of normal life.
Just like Pocahontas, we were always excited to see what lay round the next bend, and without too much difficulty we were covering pretty impressive distances each day.
While the odds of seeing bigger animals like moose are minimal, there’s plenty of birdlife and even otters to be admired, and the stunning scenery also allows for wonderful hikes and swims.
During the dry season, fires often aren’t allowed, but evenings can be spent admiring sunsets and then star gazing from your tent. Peak Sweden summer provides up to 18 hours of daylight per day, but the shoulder seasons is better for admiring the constellations.
Gentle paddling, family kayaking holidays in Sweden
Going au naturel in uninhabited, uninhibited Swedish nature
Sweden has 250,000 islands waiting to be explored, of which 30,000 are in the Stockholm Archipelago, and the “right to roam” law means they are all fair game, just don’t cause disturbances or leave any rubbish.
Many of the islands are designated nature reserves and uninhabited. Others are privately owned, most with distinctively red Swedish summer houses surrounded by forest, seemingly straight from the pages of Little Red Riding Hood. The red colour is named Falu Red, after the Falun copper mine which has supplied the paint since the 16th century.
Apart from countless forests boasting pine and lichen in every shade of green, and bays of unbelievably clear water, our best discovery was a public sauna. We happily paid the £5 per person honesty box charge, stocked up the wood burner and spent the next few hours happily alternating between lounging in the warm sauna and cold plunges off the jetty. Having seen barely another human since departing, we even felt a newfound appreciation for the Nordic’s love of stripping down and going au naturel.
A scenic sauna, Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden
Calm waters are perfect for family kayaking holidays
While technically ocean, the calm waters make for ideal kayaking conditions for beginners and children. There are minimal tides or waves, and the water is brackish rather than salty: but still the perfect saltiness for cooking pasta, according to a previous Italian guest.
It’s an ideal trip for families with tweens or teenagers, while the larger double kayaks mean families of four can also pair an adult with a child of an even younger age. In the interests of safety, the Kayak Trail requires all guests to be able to swim at least 200m.
Also, groups can choose their level of ‘camping toughness’, which, for example, can mean deciding whether to detour to a quaint waterside village for afternoon ice creams: highly recommended.
Likewise groups can either make use of the public toilets scattered along the islands or experience the novelty of using a spade: also recommended. Bookings are available from late May to late September, with both guided and self-guided options available.
The fairy tale village of Berg, Sweden
Like all the best fairy tales ours had a happy ending
Like all fairy tales, our kayaking holiday adventure sadly had to come to an end. Our four day, three night trip had given us plenty of quality time together, and we left feeling like Peter Pan after saying farewell to his beloved Neverland.
Hope came in the form of the newly opened Stockholm Archipelago Trail, a 270km hiking route connecting 21 islands, and an excuse to plan our return. Robinson Crusoe may have found the original treasure island, but there’s another 250,000 of them waiting in Sweden.
Plan family kayaking holidays in Sweden
How to get there
Direct UK flights to Stockholm from 2 hours, 27 minutes
Good to know
The Kayak Trail offers a range of 3 to 8-day guided and self-guided family kayaking holidays around the Stockholm Archipelago, within easy reach of the airport.
Find out more and book The Kayak Trail
Explore Visit Sweden for everything else you need to plan family holidays
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