oeland.de

Degerhamn

Coastal village at the gateway to the deep south

Former industrial village on Öland's south-west coast, within reach of the Iron Age ring fort Eketorp, the Långe Jan lighthouse and the Ottenby bird reserve.

By oeland.de editorial team · Travel editors · Last updated: June 2026

Wide coastal landscape at Öland's southern end near Degerhamn, with a shoreline zone and shallow-water areas.

In the deep south

Degerhamn lies on Öland's south-west coast and is one of the last sizeable villages before the island's southern tip. The village was long shaped by the lime and cement industry, whose traces are still visible today.

Starting point for the south

From Degerhamn you can reach the highlights of the island's south: the Iron Age ring fort Eketorp, the Gettlinge burial ground and, right at the southern tip, the Långe Jan lighthouse with the Ottenby nature reserve.

Quiet and nature

If you're after Öland's quieter, wide-open side, this is the place. The landscape is bare and open, and the paths lead quickly to the sea and onto the alvar.

Around Degerhamn

The Långe Jan lighthouse with its black-and-white paintwork and red keeper's cottage on Öland's southern tip.

Långe Jan

At 42 metres, Sweden's tallest lighthouse stands on Öland's southern tip. 197 steps lead to a platform overlooking the Baltic and the Ottenby bird reserve.

Medieval ring fort at Eketorp with its characteristic stone wall and traditional thatched clay huts.

Eketorp Fortress

Eketorp Fortress in southern Öland is a partially reconstructed Iron Age and medieval ring fort, now an open-air museum with heritage farm animals, crafts and guided tours.

Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata) in the Öland heath, a characteristic resident of the alvar landscape.

Ottenby

Nature reserve and bird observatory at Öland's southern tip, one of Sweden's best birdwatching sites, with a Naturum visitor centre, viewing towers and the King's Wall.

Viking-age burial ground at Gettlinge with a stone ship setting on an Öland meadow - UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gettlinge Burial Ground

One of Öland's largest burial grounds, over 300 graves, a 30-metre stone ship setting and a post mill on the escarpment above the Kalmar Sound.