Orust is one of the larger islands on the West Coast of Sweden. It is very well known for its beautiful nature, small farm shops and lively fishing villages that are dotted around the coast. Orust is the perfect place to add to a West Sweden road trip, as a day trip from Gothenburg, or as a small weekend away. In this guide, I will take you guide you through all the best places to visit and the best things to do on the island of Orust, Sweden.
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How to get to Orust, Sweden
While driving is the easiest way to get to Orust and explore the island, there is also public transport available! While it is not so regular and only runs between certain places, it is quite a good network. Some of the buses run constantly but some must be ordered on demand. It’s best to check all the details about bus stops, services and time on Västtraffik.
What to do on Orust, West Sweden
Slussen
Slussen is a very picturesque small village on the east coast of Orust. Here you will find a cosy cafe, a pretty harbour, and a great spot for camper van parking! Down by the harbour is Slussen Pensionat, a little hotel that becomes a lively meeting place for locals throughout the summer as they hold concerts and shows over the weekends. You can find Slussen’s schedule of events here.
Fröken Trulls and Morlanda By
Fröken Trulls and Morlanda By is a little shopping village with several small businesses selling unique and beautiful home goods, antiques and plants all on the same plot! Weaving in and around the small shops is Fröken Trulls, a cafe/ antique shop with great food and a really special atmosphere. The tables spread around the grounds from the cosy living room, out in the greenhouse, and in the courtyard out front. The food here is very traditional Swedish with a twist – meatballs with lingonberries or warm smoked salmon and salad. It’s all really delicious and beautifully presented and this is definitely one of the restaurants I recommend you stop at when you visit Orust.
Töllås Fårgård
Töllås Fårgård is one of the cutest little farm shops on Orust (maybe even the whole of West Sweden). It’s quite small but in such a picturesque locations. On the side of the barn there’s a cafe serving drinks and homemade cakes and buns, while inside you will find all their homemade chutneys, jams, vinaigrettes and other produce for sale! If you have been to one of the Christmas markets in Gothenburg then you will probably recognise Töllås Fårgård and their amazing delicacies!
Spread around the garden are lots of different seating areas under trees or in little alcoves. It is the perfect place for a fika! They also have a small enclosure with bunnies that you can pet!
The farm shop is quite hard to find so don’t be surprised if you are driving down some small country roads. If you look up the location on google maps it will take you to the right place!
Ellös
Ellös is a small fishing village on the North Coast of Orust. It is quite a sleepy, traditional west coast village, with cute red boat sheds lined up along the harbour and ornate white houses dotted along the cliffs. While you are in Ellös, make sure to wander down to Ellös Badplats (Sörkilen). This is one of the best places to swim on Orust, with a big grassy park and ramp leading down to shallow water, its perfect for kids. Around the corner is a dock with bridges, a diving ramp and a small sandy beach.
If you enjoy hiking, you should definitely also walk up to the viewpoint which looks out over Ellös and the whole Orust/ West Coast archipelago. To get to the viewpoint, you walk from the harbour up Rosenlundsvägen. Where the road splits in two and Rosenlundsvägen turns into a smaller road to the left, take this path. Maybe 100m down the road you will see the pathway heading up to the viewpoint. The climb is relatively steep so be prepared for a bit of a climb!
Gullholmen and Käringön – Islands near Orust, Sweden
While neither Gullholmen or Käringön really count as things to do on Orust, I have included them in this guide as they are two beautiful islands just off the west coast with ferries leaving from Tuvesvik on Orust.
Gullholmen is the closer of the two islands, only a short hop with the ferry over the water to reach it. Here, there is a lot of nature to explore, with lots of small coastal paths that take you around Härmanö nature reserve. The best place to find these walks is by searching the location on Naturkartan. You can buy the ferry ticket with Västtraffik on the To Go app. While on Gullholmen, I also recommend walking up to Lotsutsikten for a beautiful view of the island and stopping in one of the cosy restaurants for lunch.
Käringön is an island slightly more south. This is much more of a summer paradise, with small streets winding between beautiful wooden houses, plenty of good restaurants, swimming spots and a lively boat harbour. This is one of my absolute favourite islands on the west coast to visit in the summertime. I recommend walking down to Barnbadet for a swim in the shallow water, heading to Simons Restaurang for lunch in their garden, taking in the sunset from Lotsutkik, and dinner at Crêperiet Käringön.
If you want to know more about restaurants, badplats and hotels, make sure to read my complete guide to Käringön island!
Hälleviksstrand, Orust, Sweden
Hälleviksstrand is another small fishing village. Here, however, you will also find a public sauna and an amazing swimming area (badplats) which make it the perfect stop on a road trip around Orust! The swimming spot is called Hälleviksstrands Badplats and you will find it on the south of Hälleviksstrand harbour. The sauna is called Tribunen Hälleviksstrand and is available to be booked here.
Alongside swimming, Hälleviksstrand is also a great place for learning a bit about the history and the culture of Orust and West Sweden. Make sure to take a visit to Hälleviksstrands Hembygdsmuseum if you visit on a Saturday. Or wander over to Hälleviksstrands Kyrka to take a look at the incredible architecture.
Mollösund
Mollösund is one of the more well-known fishing villages on Orust. On the south of the island, it is quite a big town with lots of different swimming spots, restaurants and hikes to enjoy. Mollösund is one of the best places to stay on Orust if you want to stay somewhere central. From here, you can go out for dinner and enjoy the lively evenings but also be able to access the more raw side of Orust island.
When in Mollösund, make sure to wonder around the harbour looking at all of the old fishing cabins. Head up through the colourful village to Tornevik badplats. This is one of the best places to swim on the island, with a small bridge and little sandy beach. From here, head up on the rocks and see the old bunker left over from war times, before heading back to the harbour.
Lastly, head up to Mollösunds Utsiktspunkt for an amazing view over the harbour. This viewpoint is located just behind Mollösunds Kyrkogård and is quite a steep climb. From here, you can follow the historic trail back to the Mollösunds kvarn. This is the old windmill that sits on the hill behind the town. The view is great here too and there are a few signs where you can learn about the history of the mill and the town.
Where to stay on Orust
Prästgårdens Pensionat
We have spent a few nights at Prästgårdens Pensionat in Mollösund. One of the best things about this “hotel” is it can be very budget friendly. This is a pensionat which means there is the option to have a private room but shared bathroom for much less of the cost. It is also a really beautiful place with so much character. It is right at the heart of Mollösund and perfect for heading into the village in the evenings.
You can find out more and book Prästgårdens Pensionat here!
Strana Hotell and Restaurang
We ended up spending the night at Strana Hotell and Restaurang after winning a competition – now it’s one of our favourite places to stay on Orust. Located just outside of Hälleviksstrand, the hotel has a small boat harbour, and a restaurant. The aesthetic of the hotel is very modern and fresh and the bed was honestly one of the comfiest I have slept on!
Strana Hotell and Restaurang is actually also a great place to stay if you are visiting Orust in the winter. They have a sauna so you can take a cold bath in the sea and warm up, and they hold a Julbord (Christmas table) with amazing food! It was also super cosy having a late breakfast watching the sunrise through the frosty windows!
You can find out more and book Strana Hotell here!
What to do on Orust, Sweden – Island Overview
Orust, the island the West Coast of Sweden, is a beautiful island with a mix of small fishing villages, fantastic beaches and swimming spots, nature, and good food. In this guide, I took you through the best things to do on Orust, including villages to visit, viewpoints, restaurants and hotels to stay in.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comments!
