Swimming on Käringön
Known for its crystal-clear, salt-rich waters.
Sea bathing has long been part of life on Käringön. In the late 19th century, the island became a popular seaside health resort, thanks to its sunny climate and the exceptionally clear, salt-rich waters of the Skagerrak.
The best swimming spots are often the ones you discover yourself. Find a quiet cove, settle onto the sun-warmed granite rocks and take in the endless horizon stretching west across the open sea. On a lucky day, you might even spot a seal breaking the surface. Beyond that, there is nothing but open water all the way to the Shetland Islands and Scotland.
If you prefer more accessible swimming areas, you'll find several designated bathing spots around the island – see the map below.
Öviken children's bathing place
At Öviken, close to the hotel, you'll find floating pontoons and a shallow sandy-bottom swimming area with water depths of around 50–80 cm.
Diving tower
The diving tower in Öviken is a favourite with visitors of all ages. Together with the new swimming jetty, completed in 2025, it offers a perfect spot for swimming, jumping and enjoying long summer days by the sea.
Children's swimming - Barnbadet
The childrens' spot is on the south side of the island. If you walk south over the large meadow, Ängevik, you will reach a shallow and sandy bay, which is excellent for children.
The bay of the ladies - "Tanternas vik"
This is one of the baths for ladies. Nice and smooth rocks directly by the water. Follow the signs from the football field (Myra). Gentlemen are recommended to discretely turn their eyes away when passing by...
The diving board bath - family bath
A deep rock lagoon with crystal clear water. A ladder if you are careful and a diving board if you are bolder. Rocks that have been ground soft my thousands of years of wind and water. Enjoy the marvellous view towards Måsekskär lighthouse and Carlstens Fästning (the fortress in Marstrand) in the distance. This bathing place is as far out southwest as you can get on the island.
Knoden
Smooth rocks to jump into the water from. Follow the path that starts between the church and the football field. Guess where this beer advertisement was filmed: Pripps Blå...
The open air bath - Friluftsbadet
The open-air bath stems from the late 19th century when the island turned into a seaside resort. It's located on the smooth rocks on the south tip of the island and by tradition this is a nude bath. THis is a simple bath for calm days and the water is so fresh and clear. The only help you get to get in and out of the water is a rope attached to the rock by the "natural staircase".
The coldbaths - "Herr och dambadet"
The Herr- och dambaden (gentlemen's and ladies' baths) in the southwest part of the island are gems from a bygone era when cold, salty baths and barefoot walks on soft rocks were exclusive pleasures for society. This is the way it was in the beginning of the 20th century and the two houses have survived since then. Ladies separated from gentlemen and of course no swim suits!
The sea bath house - "varmbadhuset
Varmbadhuset is one of Käringön’s most historic landmarks, dating back to the island’s heyday as a seaside resort at the turn of the 20th century.
As visitors began travelling to Käringön to enjoy the health benefits of sea bathing, Varmbadhuset was built in 1900. It offered seaweed baths and other treatments that reflected the wellness traditions of the time.
Varmbadhuset remained in use until the 1960s before serving a variety of new purposes over the years. Following a careful restoration, it reopened in 2017.
Today, Varmbadhuset is a popular destination for sauna bathing and refreshing dips in the sea, with beautiful views across the outer reaches of the Bohuslän archipelago
Nature & Culture
Käringön is almost as far out west as you can get in Sweden! In the late 19th century the island was named health resort since it is one of the sunniest places in the country and since the water is so clean and salty...
The real connoisseur will find a private and secret little bay to lay on the warm rocks and look out over the water towards the horizon. Sometimes the head of a seal will pop up from the surface, otherwise the horizon is uniterrupted all the way to the Shetland islands and Scotland.
But there is also a whole range of more or less sophisticated places to take a bath on the island - see the map at the bottom of the page!
Angling
The waters around our island are filled with fish. You can even use your casting rod from the shores of the island as the water is relatively deep.
We also have fantastic fishing spots for wild Sea Trout. The average size of the trouts is around 50 centimeters and there is always a fair chance of catching a bigger fish. The Sea Trout season stretches from April to September. After that fishing is not allowed and the spawning starts - the fishing area rests during the winter.
Guided tours
Participate in an exciting guided tour on the island! Listen to its history dating back to the 16th century. Experience the harsh conditions for the fishermen and the more well-situated pilots and captains.
The fisherman's cottage
The local museum on the island is a small house called the fisherman's cottage. Pay a visit here to get an understanding of the life of the fishermen who used to live here on the island.
Isackesund
Around Isackesund or "the Strait of Isack" you will find the oldest houses on the island. This is where the boats docked before the main harbour and dock were built in the 1930's. Here you can really feel the history among the old boathouses that have been here for centuries. They were built using driftwood and material from ships that sunk around the island. Equally beautiful whatever time of the year you come. The beautiful stone pier was built more than 300 years ago to protect the small harbour.
Nature pass Käringön
"Naturpasset" (the nature pass) is a detailed orientation map that is used for finding a number of controls located at interesting spots on the island - collect as many as you like! This is a fun and interesting way of finding your way around the island.
Simson's Vicarage
August Simson (1815-1900) and his wife Fredrika bodde used to live in the normal vicarage just north of the church, but later they built this beautiful house west of the church as their private house. The building of the house was ready in 1877.
The Church
Käringön has been inhabitated since the 16th century and the church on the island was built in 1796. The timber for the building was transported by boat from the province of Dalsland and it was painted red. The church remained that way during the following 100 years. Today, like many other churches in the same province, the church is painted white. The church has one assembly hall for the entire parish and an altar. The church staple is 20 meters high. It can be seen from far away and is therefore a landmark on the island. Placed outside of the church are the Stone and the Anchor, as a reminder of, and a way of honoring, the islanders who lost their life at sea. Most noticeable about the church’s interior is the beautiful altarpiece from 1970, which portrays the institution of the Holy Communion. A portrait of the vicar Nils Holgersson Anctander and his family hangs to the right of the altarpiece. In the church porch there is a church chest from 1799, which today is used as a collecting box for the church’s pious people.
Lotsutkiken
Lotsutkikne is located on the west part of the island.
In 1960, the pilot station at Käringön was closed down and moved to Lysekil. The last remaining pilots at Käringön were Ville Bagge and Bengt Bull.
Måseskär lighthouse
Immediately west of Käringön is the island of Måseskärs with it's old and new lighthouses. The old lighthouse was built in 1865 and is 27 metres high. The lighthouse and the connected houses were very important since the waters are really dangerous because of all the small islands and under-water rocks. This part of the coastline has always been known as one of the most dangerous places for seafarers. In the middle of the 1970-ies, the old lighthouse was replaced by a modern one (to the left in the picture).
You can enter the small harbour of the island by boat, but you really need to know the waters very well to do that. See boat trips!
On December 7, 2017, we were reached by the happy news that Måseskär becomes a state monument (statligt byggnadsminne), which means that the lighthouse and it's houses will be maintained and preserved for generations to come financed by tax money.
Book a combined seal safari and light-house visit!
Walking paths
There are plenty of small roads on the island and you can walk for hours and still not understand how they are all connected. But don't worry, you will never be lost and you will always be able to find your way back to the harbour easily. Still, we really recommend you to leave the paths and get out on the rocks to really enjoy the beauty and wilderness of the untouched nature out here. It's also good to know that there is basically no private land on the island so you can walk wherever you like - even between houses.
Kulturrundan
Naturundan
