Hönö, Sweden, is one of the most popular islands in Gothenburg’s Northern Archipelago and for good reason. This island is home to some beautiful nature, lovely swimming spots, and amazing restaurants. Hönö island has a rich seafaring history, the islands culture woven with fishing traditions that are still present today in the events and festivities they hold. Hönö is the perfect day trip from Gothenburg, and one I am sure you will be longing to do again after your first visit.
In this guide, I’ll share with you everything you need to know about visiting Hönö and the surrounding islands on Sweden’s west coast. You will also find tips for the best restaurants, beaches, and hikes you shouldn’t miss!
Interested in visiting more of the area? Make sure to read my guide to Sweden’s West Coast!
Things to Know About Visiting Hönö Island
How to get to Hönö, Sweden
Hönö is an island in the Northern Gothenburg archipelago. The only way to get to Hönö is by ferry of boat. The ferries are part of the Gothenburg public transport system and leave from Lilla Varholmen on a regular basis! You can either drive here and take your car over to Hönö, or take the bus from the centre of Gothenburg and walk onto the ferry.
Tickets are easy to buy from Västtraffik, and Hönö is included in the inner-city region so the tickets are very good value!
When is the best time to visit Hönö?
Hönö is great all year round, but the best time to visit is from late spring to early autumn. This time of year, it is much warmer so you can enjoy the beautiful beaches and rocky cliffs, and the island itself has a beautiful summery atmosphere. Hönö is very much lived on so restaurants and shops are open all year round if you did want to avoid the crowds and visit off season.
Things to do on Hönö Island, Sweden
There are so many things to see and do on the island of Hönö that you need more than just one day to fit them in! Whether you enjoy swimming, hiking, eating good food, or browsing shops, there is something for everyone here!
Hiking trails on Hönö, Sweden
The Skärgårdsleden
If you want to experience the diversity of Hönö and the surrounding islands, then I definitely recommend hiking the Skärgårdsleden. This hike is one of the best ways to see the rocky cliffs and beautiful coastal nature typical to Hönö and West Sweden. The hike is split into 3 sections that run across the 4 main islands in the northern archipelago, however, it is just as lovely of an experience to just walk the sections around Hönö. Start at the ferry terminal and follow the path south to the Fötö bridge. Here the path heads through Klåva and runs up the West coast of Hönö towards Ersdalen Nature Reserve.
This walk will take a 4-5 hours, so a good way to shorten it is to begin at Ersdalen Nature Reserve and walk south to Hönö Klåva. From here, you can cut back across the island and follow the car roads back to Ersdalen. This instead takes 2 – 3 hours in total.
If you enjoy hiking, make sure to test some of the other great hiking trails near Gothenburg!
Ersdalen Nature Reserve
If you fancy a shorter walk in the nature of Hönö, I recommend visiting Ersdalen Nature Reserve. Here you will find a mix of forest and rocky cliffs with great ocean views. Make sure to visit Rö-Berget for an amazing view over the archipelago. You can make short loop trail here by following the forest path from Parkering Ersdalen Naturreservat out onto the cliffs and looping back down the path on the southern end of the peninsula.
Seal safari
If you want to see a bit more of the Swedish archipelago, you can take a seal safari with Hönö Båtturer. They run tours from April to November that last 2.5 – 3 hours. It is a guided tour so it’s a great way to get to know more about the island and the fishing culture that has shaped so much of how it is today.
Vinga lighthouse tour
Hönö Båtturer also run tours out to Vinga island, the small island in the middle of Gothenburg’s archipelago, home to an iconic lighthouse. This tour takes 2 – 2.5 hours, with 1 hour total travel time and just over an hour to explore the small island. Vinga is an amazing small island and this is definitely something I recommend doing. If you don’t want to do it as a part of your Hönö trip, you can also take this tour from the centre of Gothenburg which we have taken and loved!
Swedish Style Island Hopping
One of the best things to do in the Gothenburg’s archipelago is go island hopping. This is something you can do over one days, or make a whole week of it if you want a more relaxed trip! Hönö is the perfect place for island hopping around the northern archipelago – with bridges to Fötö and Hälsö, and a ferry to Björkö.
The best way to plan a day of island hopping from Hönö is to take a look at the ferry times and plan your schedule this way!
See the View from Hönö Vattentorn
Hönö Vattentorn, or Hönö water tour, is a viewpoint in the heart of Hönö, only a short and easy walk from Hönö Klåva. From here, there is a beautiful view over the town with the archipelago behind!
The Fishing Museum
If you want to know a bit more about the culture and history of Hönö Island then there is nowhere better to visit than the Fishing Museum. Located in the heart of Hönö Klåva, here you will find lots of different ephemera from the old fishing days of the island.
Take a Sauna
There is nothing better (or more part of the Swedish experience) than taking a sauna and a dip in the sea! On Hönö there are a few different places you can hire out a sauna, both in beautiful and unforgettable locations!
The first I will suggest in this post is Långholmen. This is a super picturesque sauna on the little island of Långholmen, just opposite Hönö Klåva. The sauna is hired out privately and costs 4000kr for 4 hours. If you don’t have your own boat, you need to pay an additional 100kr per person for transport to the other side!
The second sauna is Havskatten, by Hönö Röd on the north of the island. This sauna is part of Havskatten hotel and has a beautiful view out over the archipelago. This is the cheaper option, at 300kr per person for non-hotel guests with a minimum of 1200kr, for two hours with the sauna and bubble pool. If you are staying at Havskatten then it instead costs 250kr with 1000kr minimum.
Interested in exploring more saunas and spas? Read my guide to the best spas near Gothenburg to get all my top tips!
The Best Swimming Spots on Hönö
There are so many incredible little beaches, rocky cliffs and harbours to explore on Hönö! Here are a few favourites that I recommend, however, one of the things that is best about this island is the possibility to just walk around the coast and find your own special little swimming spot. For that reason, I recommend taking one of the coastal paths from the beaches and exploring a little more before finding your perfect spot.
West Hönö Swimming Spots
The first swimming spot on Hönö island is Hästen, a small sandy beach with a bridge out into the water. Hästen is on the west side of the island and easily reached from Hönö Klåva. The second is Badplats Stegen Lapposand. This is my favourite of the organised badplats on Hönö. It is super picturesque, especially if you wander down to the harbour at Bådevi. At Badplats Stegen Lapposand there is a small bridge, a sandy beach, and possibility to swim from the rocks. There is also a toilet here which makes it quite a popular spot, especially in the summer months.
East Hönö Swimming Spots
On the East of Hönö island you will find Jungfruviken and Halse Långe. Jungfruviken is quite a large swimming spot with a bridge, small sandy beach, and big grass park. It is the perfect swimming spot to go to if you are visiting Hönö with kids. This too can get very busy in the summer. Lastly is Halse Långe which is on the South East of Hönö, just by the bridge over to Fötö. This too has a grassy patch with a small sandy beach and very shallow waters.
As I recommended before, there are so many beautiful coves and sand beaches around Hönö that are not classified as “badplats” as they don’t have bridges or alike. If you can, wander along the west coast of Hönö and you will likely find your own perfect swimming spot.
The best restaurants on Hönö
There are so many amazing places to eat on Hönö, it can be hard to decide. Something I would recommend though is trying some of the traditional seafood dishes they serve. Fishing was such a big part of this island’s history which you can still see today in the small harbour and fishing museum. Hönö, and the whole west coast, has some of the best seafood in Sweden!
Klova Hamnkrog
Klova Hamnkrog is a lovely restaurant just by the harbour in the small village of Klåva. It has such a nice vibe here, with a small outdoor courtyard and beautiful interior. They serve amazing food, although it is quite expensive. Definitely recommend this place if you are looking for somewhere quite nice and want to make a bigger deal out of lunch.
Lilling Cottage
Lilling Cottage is a favourite in Klåva. They have quite a simple but very tasty menu. I can recommend the pizzas and the salads which are both absolutely delicious! Recommend this restaurant if you want somewhere nice that is a little more casual.
Hönö Pizzeria
This is one of the simplest food options on Hönö, a small pizzeria in the harbour at Klåva. While it is a simple and classic Swedish pizzeria, the food here is actually really good and the small outdoor terrace that looks over the harbour is perfect on a summer day.
Risbaren
Ricebaren is a small Chinese restaurant in the harbour of Klåva. I have heard from a few friends that this is the best and most authentic Chinese food in Gothenburg so it’s definitely worth a try!
Lilla Bageriet Gårda Hönö
This is a very small but cosy bakery in the middle of the island of Hönö. It’s the perfect place to head for fresh break of a fika. If you don’t know what fika is, make sure to check out this guide! It is one of the most authentic activities you can do in Sweden, and what better place than Hönö!
Hönö Island Guide: An Overview
Hönö, Sweden, is one of the best islands to visit in the Gothenburg archipelago. Don’t miss the town of Hönö Klåva where you can enjoy good food and some shopping. Make sure to do one of the island’s hikes and discover one of the islands little sandy beaches or make your trip into an island-hopping adventure and explore one of the other islands nearby.
Here’s a guide to the best islands in Gothenburg archipelago with all the best tips to help you decide!
Continue Exploring:
- Read all about the islands in the Gothenburg Archipelago
- Southern Gothenburg Archipelago Islands of Styrsö, Vrångö, Donsö, Asperö, Brännö and Galterö
- Take a day trip out to Vinga Island and Lighthouse
- Gothenburg Itineraries: One Day or Two to Four Days
- West Sweden Map with over 300+ Restaurants, Hikes, Villages, Viewpoints and more!
- All Gothenburg Guides
