Öland with Dogs

Öland is a well-suited destination for a holiday with a dog: plenty of open nature, wide beaches and a good number of dog-friendly campsites and places to stay. But it's worth knowing a few Swedish rules, since the island is also one of the country's most important bird areas, and in summer, clear rules apply on beaches and in nature reserves. This guide covers leash rules, dog beaches, exercise areas, places to stay, entry requirements and veterinary care.

Leash rules and nature conservation

Across Sweden, a leash law applies outdoors from 1 March to 20 August (Swedish koppeltvång), to protect wildlife and young animals during the breeding season. Outside that period dogs can run free, but must stay under close enough control that they don't disturb wildlife. This right-to-roam rule applies everywhere, including the open expanses of the Stora Alvaret.

Rules are stricter than the national default in the Ottenby nature reserve at the southern tip, one of Sweden's best birdwatching areas across roughly 995 hectares. Here dogs must be kept on a leash year-round. In addition:

• No access from 1 April to 15 November to the areas marked with a black dotted line on the reserve map.
• Along the lighthouse trail to Långe Jan, an additional access ban on the surrounding land from 1 April to 15 July, to protect breeding, sometimes threatened bird species (under species protection regulations).
• Drone flights are banned in the reserve year-round.

The paths in the Trollskogen nature reserve at the northern tip also require dogs to be on a leash; more on this in the hiking section. In general, it's worth checking the information boards at each reserve on arrival, since individual bird-protection areas can be closed seasonally.

Where dogs can swim

When it comes to swimming, "anywhere goes" doesn't apply on Öland. Under local bylaws, dogs aren't allowed on the public swimming beaches in Borgholm municipality from 1 June to 31 August; at beaches without official swimming facilities, though, they're welcome, on a leash during the season. There are also dedicated dog beaches:

• Klinta bodar, north of the swimming spot in Köpingsvik, a small sandy beach plus a large grassy area.
• Sjöstugan in Borgholm, at a designated spot.
• Bjärbybadet, on the northern stretch of beach.
• A swimming spot north of Kyrketorps Camping.

Mörbylånga municipality in the south runs its own dog beaches near Färjestaden (Granudden and Dämmet), in Haga Park and near Mörbylånga (Kalvhagen). Further north, at the foot of the Öland Bridge (Ölandsbron), Svinö offers a low-barrier accessible swimming spot; the harbour at Bläsinge is also used informally for dog swimming.

If you're after a quiet, unofficial stretch of beach, the overview of Öland's beaches lists sections away from the lifeguarded swimming spots.

Exercise areas and walks

For off-leash time despite the summer leash law, there are fenced dog exercise areas. Mörbylånga municipality runs five such areas (hundrastgårdar):

• Algutsrum (Jätten Alguts väg / Möllströms väg)
• Färjestaden (Dämmet and Marmorvägen)
• Kastlösa (Stationshusgatan)
• Mörbylånga (Markgatan)

For walks, the island offers landscapes that vary a lot from one spot to the next. In the Trollskogen nature reserve at the northern tip, marked trails of roughly 1 km, 2.3 km and 4.8 km wind through the wind-sculpted coastal forest, all requiring a leash. Halltorps Hage south of Borgholm is a valuable stand of broadleaf woodland with quiet paths, and Neptuni åkrar north of Byxelkrok is an open shingle field on the coast. For more route options, see the hiking guide to Öland; the wide, open Alvar is also good for long walks outside the leash period.

Dog-friendly places to stay

Many campsites and holiday homes accept dogs, usually for a surcharge and with advance notice. These include:

• First Camp Ekerum Öland on Kalmarsund south of Borgholm, dog-friendly, with its own dog wash area on site; the dog fee is 215 SEK per stay (the same price covers two dogs). Dogs aren't allowed in the shared service buildings.
• Hotel Skansen, dogs for 150 SEK per night, welcome at breakfast and in the bistro and on the terrace too.
• Alvaret Hotel & Hostel, dog-friendly rooms, 180 SEK per stay.
• Gammalsbygårdens Gästgiveri, near Ottenby and the Eketorp ring fort.

Dog fees on the large holiday-home booking platforms can't be generalised, as they vary by property and provider, check the individual listing for the details. For a full overview of places to stay on the island, see the guides camping on Öland, holiday homes and hotels.

Bringing your dog into Sweden

Travelling from an EU country, Sweden's entry rules from the Swedish Board of Agriculture (Jordbruksverket) apply:

• Microchip, must be implanted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination.
• Primary rabies vaccination from 12 weeks of age, followed by a 21-day waiting period, so the earliest possible travel date is day 22.
• EU pet passport issued by a vet.

Tapeworm treatment against Echinococcus isn't required for entry to Sweden (the fox tapeworm already occurs in the country), though it's explicitly recommended. That's a difference from countries such as Finland, Norway, Ireland or Malta, which require treatment 24 to 120 hours before entry. For the journey itself, over the Öland Bridge from Kalmar, or the summer ferry to Byxelkrok, see the guide getting to Öland.

Climate, heat precautions and vets

Öland has a mild, very dry and sunny summer climate, the average July temperature is around 17 to 18°C. With roughly 500 mm of annual rainfall, locally as low as 400 mm on the coast, Öland is Sweden's driest landscape. For dogs, that means comfortably mild summers that rarely feel oppressive; even so, on sunny days and shade-sparse beach and Alvar terrain, water, rest breaks and shade are essentials.

Should anything come up, care is easy to reach:

• AniCura Borgholms Djurklinik (small-animal clinic), Sandgatan 57, 387 35 Borgholm, tel. 0485-124 40. Open weekdays 08:30-17:00, closed at weekends; emergency intake available, complex cases go to the animal hospital in Kalmar.
• Distriktsveterinärerna Öland (Industrigatan 18) and the private Skogsbykliniken, both in Färjestaden.
• AniCura Kalmarsunds Djursjukhus (nearest emergency clinic on the mainland), Gasverksgatan 17, 392 45 Kalmar, tel. 0480-270 50. Emergency intake daily 08:00-22:00, please call ahead.

Öland compared, and the local dog community

Compared with neighbouring Gotland, Öland is fairly generous towards dog owners. On Gotland, a leash law applies year-round at the region's swimming spots, and many of the top beaches such as Visby Havsbad, Tofta or Sudersand ban dogs entirely from 1 May to 30 September, a longer and stricter closed period than Öland's 1 June to 31 August.

The wider scene is dog-friendly too. Café Söderbönor in Mörbylånga has been explicitly dog-friendly since 2016, with treats and water bowls; a loose dog group meets there on Saturdays for a walk followed by fika (a Swedish coffee break). Eriksöre Camping offers a fenced exercise area with an agility course during peak season. There's no single fixed annual dog event, but the weekly Mörbylånga meet-up is a good way to connect with other dog owners locally. More places to eat are listed in the food and drink guide.