Kayaking with Seals and Koster Island Cycling
Around 300 inhabitants live on the islands year-round, the majority on South Koster. Plans are underway to designate 45,000 hectares around the islands as Sweden's first marine National Park.
The island of South Koster, with an area of 8 square km, is vegetated, while North Koster, with an area of just 4 square km, is mostly rocky. Until very recently, there were some inhabitants who had never visited their neighbours on the other island, and even today a friendly rivalry exists between the islanders!
Duration: 4 days
Dates/Period: Any 4 days between 01.04.08 and 15.06.08 or between 20.08.08 and 30.11.08.
Price: from £326/person.
Accommodation: Self-catering apartment or hotel.
Required: You should be in good health, have a reasonable level of fitness and be able to swim. Minimum age 12.
The islands of Koster in Sweden's western archipelago are an ideal base for a mix of nature and culture. Lying off the west coast of Sweden near the pretty harbour town of Strömstad, they are the most westerly inhabited islands in Sweden. There are two islands, North and South Koster, with a surrounding archipelago of smaller, uninhabited islands, rocks and skerries.
On this experience, you will spend a day exploring this beautiful region by sea kayak, visiting the resident common seals which inhabit the waters around the islands. Sea kayaking is an excellent way to watch marine wildlife - kayaks create very little disturbance and allow intimate encounters with both seals and seabirds. Common seals are curious and intelligent animals, and visiting the colony by sea kayak, gliding along low in the water, gives you a real "seal's eye view" of their marine world!
For your other full day on the island, it is time to take to your bike to explore the pretty island of South Koster, its nature and the culture of the island dwellers. Although the island is small, there is plenty to see and do, whether you prefer to sun yourself and take a dip or sample dishes prepared from local organic produce.
After each day's adventures, you return to your seaside apartment, perhaps to watch the sunset over the archipelago with a glass of wine! The apartments are fully-equipped with self-catering facilities, or why not treat yourself with a meal at a local seafood restaurant and sample the catch of the day? If you wish, you can also choose accommodation in rooms at the island's waterside hotel.
The Koster Islands are a lovely retreat from the stresses of modern life and easily accessible from the mainland, with Strömstad just 2.5 hours by train from the city of Gothenburg.