Activities on Öland

Active on the Sunshine Island

Öland is flat, narrow and, with around 2,100 hours of sunshine a year, one of the sunniest corners of Sweden, ideal conditions for exploring the island under your own steam. The season runs from May to September for almost everything, and thanks to nature reserves and the Swedish right to roam (allemansrätten), most of it is free. The guides to cycling, hiking, nature spots, birdwatching and Öland with kids go into more depth on routes, prices and timing.

Cycling the Ölandsleden

The backbone for cyclists is the Ölandsleden, around 368 kilometres right round the island, from the Långe Jan lighthouse in the south to Långe Erik in the north, signposted with yellow markers. The surface is roughly 65 percent asphalt, the rest gravel; the loop counts as moderately demanding not because of climbs (only around 1,446 metres of elevation gain in total) but because of the distance and wind. Along the way you pass many of the roughly 350 surviving windmills, out of an estimated 2,000 that once stood on the island.

Bike hire starts at around 250 SEK a day (450 SEK for an e-bike), available in Färjestaden, Mörbylånga and Borgholm among other places. If you're bringing your own bike, the seasonal bike ferry M/S Dessi runs from Kalmar to Färjestaden from May to September (75 SEK one way, bikes free, children under 13 free), the Öland Bridge (Ölandsbron) itself is closed to cyclists. Stage-by-stage routes, themed rides and hire options are in the cycling guide.

Hiking across the Stora Alvaret

The island's great long-distance trail is the Mörbylångaleden: around 83 kilometres in five stages from Färjestaden to Ottenby, marked with red wooden posts and one of only twelve STF signature trails in Sweden. It crosses the Stora Alvaret, a limestone heath of over 260 square kilometres, the largest continuous alvar landscape in Europe and the core of the Southern Öland UNESCO World Heritage Site, at its most spectacular during the orchid bloom in May and early June. In total, over 140 kilometres of marked trails run through the World Heritage Site.

For shorter, family-friendly walks, head to the Trollskogen ("troll forest") on the northern tip (four circular trails from 1 to 4.5 km) or Ottenby in the south (four trails from 1.5 to 5.7 km), both nature reserves, both free. The hiking guide sets out all the trails; the island's wildest spots, from the limestone sea stacks at Byrums Raukar to the Beijershamn bird reserve, are gathered in the nature guide.

Bird migration on the southern tip

Öland funnels migrating birds like a bottleneck, and the Ottenby nature reserve on the southern tip is its focal point: the bird observatory has operated here since 1946, the site list runs to 377 species, and in 2019 Ottenby was Sweden's top birdwatching site with 267 species recorded. The peaks fall in the second half of May and the first half of October, when over 100,000 geese and ducks can pass through on the busiest days.

The reserve itself is free to enter; only climbing the Långe Jan lighthouse costs 50 SEK for adults and 30 SEK for children (open from early April to late October), with the guided tour including a visit to the ringing station at 100 and 70 SEK respectively. Sites, wind conditions and equipment are covered in the birdwatching guide.

Travelling with children

Öland works almost effortlessly as a family destination. The biggest draw is Ölands Djurpark near Färjestaden, wildlife park, rides and water park in one, priced at 495 SEK per person in high season from 13 June to 16 August (2-day ticket 695 SEK, low season 195 SEK, children under one metre tall free). Then there's the walk-through Iron Age fort at Eketorp (75 SEK adults, 50 SEK children aged 7 to 19, under-7s free), with archery and Iron Age crafts, plus the gently shelving beaches in the north. Outings with prices and wet-weather options are gathered in the family guide, and the matching coastal spots are in the beaches section.