A family trip to Koster
Are you thinking of taking the family to the archipelago paradise on the border and wondering what you can do there?
Explore Koster by bike
Photographer: Jonas Ingman
We start our trip at the ferry dock in Strömstad. The ferries to Koster depart regularly from here, with even more departures in summer. Leave your car in Strömstad, because the Koster islands are car-free. Whether you bring your own bike or rent one on Koster, the principle is the same: Koster is best explored on two wheels!
It’s up to you if you want to explore the Koster islands all on your own or with a guide. You can book a wide range of guided experiences on www.gransguiderna.com – including cycling, kayaking and historical tours.
We recommend lunch at Kosters Trädgårdar, an inspiring venue with food production, a farm shop, animals and all kinds of local products, all organic, locally sourced and in harmony with nature. The food here smells and tastes genuine, pure and natural – because it is!
And don’t miss a visit to naturum Kosterhavet, the national park’s visitors’ centre, which offers a touch-tank aquarium, guided tours, films and lectures.
When your stomach starts growling, you have a wide range of restaurants on Koster. For your sleeping arrangements, you’ll find affordable camping, fancy hotels and everything in between. It’s all up to you and the size of your travel budget.
Snorkel trail and Strömstad prawns
After a good breakfast, we recommend earmarking your morning for outdoor activities in the archipelago paradise. Cycle out to one of the many glorious beaches, swim in the refreshing sea, go snorkelling and discover the rich plant and animal life in the national park! The Koster Fjord is well known for its wealth of species – over 6,000 known species above and another 6,000 below the water’s surface. If you are particularly fond of snorkelling, there is an exciting snorkel trail at 1–1.5 metres’ depth, like an underwater nature trail with information signs. It’s located at the Rörvik shore.
Once you’ve had your fill of swimming and outdoor activities, you can take the Koster boat back to Strömstad and explore the varied shopping streets. Strömstad also has many good restaurants and cafés offering dinner in a wide range of price classes. Make sure to eat some fresh prawns while you’re here – prawns are a true delicacy in Strömstad and a symbol of the town.
Good to know
Photographer: Katrin Sjögren
From Strömstad and onwards to the Koster Islands, you can also travel with Västtrafik, which operates boats from the north harbour every day of the year.
The boat journey to the Koster Islands – North Koster and South Koster – takes around 45 minutes. If you have your own bike with you, you can take it on board, space permitting, for a small fee. You also pay the ticket on onboard the ferry.
If you choose to make your way around by bike, you can see a lot in a short space of time as the distances are not particularly great. There are a number of signposted trailswhich take you around the island. If you don’t have a bike with you, you’ll be able to hire enough for the whole family from April to October near all the ferry landings on South Koster.
