Magnificent sunsets and cold nights in a May kayaking trip

Incredibly beautiful islands with rock formations shaped by the ice age, small coves and straits accessible by kayak, and clear water through which you can see underwater shapes and colors.

Breathtakingly beautiful!

You can more about Kökar here:

There were a lot of birds everywhere. I tried not to disturb them, but they were timid and fled away far before I was anywhere close.

I found some great routes between the little islands, often the draught was just enough for a kayak, and many times it seemed that I couldn’t get through, where I then did. There’s no other way to see these places!

Few words about safety

They say you should never go paddling alone, but that’s what I do. That’s my choice and you can write on my tombstone, how completely irresponsible I was! I make sure I don’t take any unnecessary risks or go out in bad weather.

I have been training how to get back on the kayak in case of falling, and I was wearing a dry suit because the sea is still very cold in May.

As a security measure, I always announce my itinerary and tell my location along the way to my friends in Kökar. So, if they don’t hear from me, they know, where I have been the previous day.

Anyway, make sure you take some safety precautions when you go out paddling, camping, hiking, trekking, or whatever you do!

Cold night in a sunset paradise

I paddled around for some time looking for a suitable tent spot. There were several suitable ones, but of course, I tried to find the perfect one, one where I could see the sunset, which had a soft platform for my tent and a sheltered place to cook.

Yes, quite a list of requirements, admittedly.

At last I accepted one location and what comes to sunset, my choice was at least a satisfactory one, or what you think (pictures below).

It was a beautiful calm night, but it got chilly after the sunset. Luckily, I had my dawn jacket with me. I walked a bit on the island and climbed up to those “double hills” to admire the sunset.

At night I woke up every hour to the fact that I was cold. Even though I had a good sleeping pad, a down sleeping bag, I was wearing merino wool underlays, a fleece jacket, a fleece blanket on top of me inside the sleeping bag, and lastly, I was even wearing my down jacket, and I still felt bit cold.

However, my watch told me (of course, you must check the quality of your sleep on smart devices, even when camping!) that my sleep was restorative and good and stress levels were at a minimum.

Yeah, right. Even when I’m cold in a tent, I sleep better than on a soft mattress at home!

Pictures from my first night’s camping paradise.

Touring around

After my morning coffee and porridge, I made a plan for the route for the day. I wanted to “just” go around these lovely little islands and see the beautiful landscapes above and below the water.

This corner of Kökar turned out to be a great paddling spot. The water is shallow and there are a lot of rocks, so there is plenty to see even underwater.

When buying a kayak, I gave a lot of thought about which would be the right choice, a longer sea kayak that would be good for a long trip, or a shorter one that is more agile to handle. The latter one, which I chose, turned out to be a good solution in these places.

I started looking for a place to stay overnight with the same criteria in mind as last night. Finally I found a place, which I liked.

I spent the evening and night in the same way as the previous one, setting up the tent, cooking, walking around the island, admiring the sunset, and then the nightly frostbite. The sunset was extraordinary, again!

Pictures from my second night’s sunset paradise.

In the morning, as I opened the tent door, a white-tailed eagle took off from the nearby cliff. Oh, wow.

Sunday roast

On Sunday, I did another tour before heading back to Sandvik. The sun was shining, and I was literally cooking in my dry suit!

There was no wind at all, and I thought I was melting in the heat. Strange, first I’m cold at night and in a few hours, I’m hot! 

I paddled through the main islands in the calm weather. The narrow channel goes under the road in a little “tunnel”. This is a good fishing spot for pikeperch, I’ve heard.

Kökar’s nature really is in a class of its own, and the trip was an amazing experience. Although I have spent time in the archipelago since I was a child, the beauty of it still amazes me.

Kayaking Adventures In Kökar

If you want to come paddling to Kökar, a good starting point for your trip is Sandvik Marina & Camping. You can also rent a kayak from there.

It is possible to visit these little islands on a day trip and stay in a cottage or tent in Sandvik. Make inquiries to Sandvik.

Read more: