A trip to Strömstad and the Koster islands is guaranteed to be a good one, no matter what time of the year you visit! The West Coast of Sweden is one of my favourites areas to travel around and after a trip like this you will know why! The Koster islands offer such unique nature and good food, and Strömstad’s small-town charm has something for everyone- whether you like shopping, art, or just want a sauna and a good meal. One of the best things about this trip has to be how accessible both Strömstad and Koster are by public transport. Strömstad is just a train ride away from Gothenburg and a bus ride from Oslo, and it’s only a one hour ferry ride from there to Kosterhavets National park.
In this guide, I will take you through everything you need to know if you are planning a trip to Strömstad and/ or the Koster Islands! I hope that I have covered everything, but if you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask.
So, let’s get started!
Disclaimer: This post was written in paid partnership with Bohuslän. However, all thoughts and opinions in this post are genuine.
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Planning a trip to Strömstad and Koster
Strömstad is the northern-most city on the West Coast of Sweden, very close to the border of Norway. Despite being called a city, Strömstad is more of a small town. The city centre surrounds the busy harbour and the rest of Strömstad spreads out along the ragged coastline. Just an hour ferry ride away, you reach the Koster Islands and Kosterhavets National Park. This is Sweden’s first and only marine national park, home to over 12 000 different species (around 200 unique to only Koster)!
When to visit Strömstad and The Koster Islands
The most popular time to visit Koster and Strömstad is during the summer months, peak period being between midsummer and the middle of August. However, we visited the area in the late spring (middle of May) and loved this time of year. The islands were covered in blooming flowers, it was the perfect temperature for cycling and walking around, and we had the best spots all to ourselves! Talking to the locals, they recommended the shoulder seasons as their favourite time / May, June, and September often offering the best experience!
Like most places in Sweden, a lot of things “shut-down” for the winter months so you are best to visit between the beginning of May and end of September. However, there is still a lot to do in the winter. For example, Kläpphagen do special events throughout the winter months, such as a Christmas table (Julbord), and is there really a bad time for a cosy weekend away in a good hotel with a sauna?
How to get to Strömstad
Strömstad is one of the easiest destinations in West Sweden to reach by public transport (although you can of course also drive). From Gothenburg Central Station, it’s around a 3 hour train ride direct to Strömstad! Trains leave several times a day and you can buy a ticket through the Västtrafik application (Zone ABC) like you would any other public transport ticket! Read more about how it works on this page.
Alternatively, if you are travelling from Norway, Strömstad can be reached in two ways, there is a direct FlixBus which takes around 1.5 hours from Oslo, or you can take the public transport route. This is the longer of the two and takes around 2.5 – 3 hours as you need to switch from the train in Halden to bus 111 in Halden.
How to get to the Koster Islands
The Koster Islands are best reached by ferry. The ferry leaves quite regularly from the main harbour in Strömstad and takes around 45 minutes to an hour depending where you plan on getting off. You can also buy tickets for the Koster Ferry on the Västtrafik app. You will need to buy a one way Zone C + Kosteröarna ticket.
Where to stay
Strömstad: Scandic Laholmen
If you want to stay right in the middle of Strömstad, basically on the sea, with a great restaurant just a few steps away, Scandic Laholmen is the perfect place! This is quite a big hotel with spacious rooms, and a very short walking distance to most things you will want to do in Strömstad. The staff here are lovely and very accommodating, and through the hotel you can actually book other activities such as the Kallbadhus (bathing house). You can book your stay at Scandic Laholmen on this page.
See more: Find all your Strömstad accommodation options here!
Koster: Kläpphagen
Kläpphagen is a beautiful boutique B&B right in the heart of South Koster, only a short walk from Koster Ekenäs ferry terminal. The B&B offers a few different types of rooms, with spacious apartments, a bigger house for up to 5 people, and a very picturesque glamping site. Everything about Kläpphagen is very thought out, from the craft-brewery and boule court in the front garden down to the small details in the design of their fantastic restaurant. You can book your stay at Kläpphagen on this page.
See more: Find all your Kosteroärna accommodation options here.
The best things to do in Strömstad
Strömstad is the perfect small city for a weekend escape. From walking around the harbour and swimming in the sea, to wandering around the cobblestone streets discovering little boutique shops and tasting the local cuisine. Below I have outlined everything we did on this trip!
Lunch at Laholmen’s Fisk
Sitting in Laholmen’s Fisk, you can tell it is a real local favourite. Hearing the local taxi driver call up and ask if they could keep the fish he caught until the end of his shift, or watching the server greet everyone by name as they came in for lunch. Laholmens Fisk is located right by the harbour, next to where the ferry leaves for Koster. Starting off as just a fish shop, they opened the restaurant as a way to stop food wastage, choosing the daily lunch dish each morning based on the fish that is caught.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day except Sundays. Like most other Swedish restaurants, they serve a daily lunch with the choice of a meat and fish dish, with salad buffet, coffee, and a drink included! We had the fish of the day which was steamed cod, cava sauce, asparagus and mashed potato and it was delicious! Find their menu here.
Explore the town
Srömstad itself is a very sweet city, with cobblestone streets, wooden houses and the ocean on its doorstep. While visiting, you have to spend at least a few hours exploring the town. The main streets are Södra Hamngatan and Badhusgatan. On these roads you will find numerous small boutique shops and cute houses. A few recommendations are to visit Riuso Vintage, Retrend secondhand, and The & Krusiduller No. 16.
I can also recommend walking along Södra Hamngatan to the bridge just after Norrtillsgatan on your left, or heading up the hill behind the station to Korpeberget lookout. From here, you get a great view over the harbour and the orange tiled rooftops that make up Strömstad! While wandering around, don’t forget to look up at all of the street art covering the buildings. It really brings the city to life.
Take a sauna at the bathing house (Strömstads Kallbadhus)
One of my favourite things to do, no matter what time of the year you visit, is enjoying a sauna and a cold dip in the sea! In Strömstad, you have the perfect opportunity for this at Strömstads Kallbadhus. This is a floating bath house located just outside of Scandic Laholmen. The idea of a kallbadhus has been around in Strömstad since the 1700’s and is very much a fun tradition to take part in!
In the summer months, the bathing house is open every day free of charge. If you visit off season, you can either visit the kallbadhus under their opening times (where a small fee needs to be paid) or privately hire one of the saunas. This is what we did and it was the so much fun!
Eat at Scandic Laholmen’s restaurant
Whether you are staying at Scandic Laholmen or not, definitely take a swing by their restaurant for a meal while you are in Strömstad! Their menu is inspired by Sweden’s West Coast, using as much quality and locally produced ingredients as possible. The restaurant overlooks the water, with a big terraced area outside that doubles as a pizza kitchen throughout the summer. We ate dinner here – a three course meal of scallops, fish soup, and desserts! Everything was delicious! You can find the menu here.
Tip: Taste the desserts of David Vidal
David Vidal, the head chef of Scandic Laholmen’s restaurant, is a renowned dessert chef (@vidal31 on Instagram). Every single dessert he makes looks like a work of art, and believe me when I say that they taste even better! We were very lucky and did a dessert tasting with David, tasting three desserts – one from the spring, summer and winter. They were all incredible. Each bite was a flavour and texture journey leaving you wanting more. While the dessert tasting isn’t available to everyone, his desserts are permanently on the menu at Scandic Laholmen’s restaurant for you to order every single day!
Hike to Korpeberget
For one of the best views, make sure to walk up to the viewpoint Korpeberget, just behind the central station! From here, you get a great view over the city centre, the harbour, and the islands spread out over the horizon.
Visit Lokstallet Art Gallery
If you enjoy art then definitely add Lokstallet Art Gallery (Konsthallen Lokstallet) to your itinerary! This is quite a small gallery located in a beautiful converted train shed just a short walk from the train station. They have shifting exhibitions, displaying the works of two artists at a time all throughout the summer. You can find their summer program on this page.
Lunch or fika at Kaffedoppet
Another local favourite, Kaffedoppet cafe is a classic Swedish konditori serving shrimp salad and a delicious array of baked goods. It’s the perfect place to head for lunch or a fika. We had shrimp salad with apple juice from Nöddö Musteri, sat on the upper floor looking out at the ocean. The cakes looked so delicious too so I am already longing for the next time we can stop by! Find more information on this page.
The best things to do on the Koster Islands
Kosterhavets National Park and the Koster Islands have so much to offer! From the unique nature and crystal clear waters, to sensational food and cosy hotels. We only spent a short time on Koster and while we managed to experience so much, I am already longing to return and see even more!
Learn about Kosterhavets National Park at Naturrum
No matter where you are, if there’s a Naturum nearby I always recommend making it your first stop! Naturum is a information space of sorts where they have big exhibitions on the natural landscape, flora and fauna that live there. It’s the best place to learn about where you are, the nature that exists there, and why it is the way it is. There are Naturums all over Sweden – for example on the High Coast, Läckö Slott, Stenhuvuds National Park, and Söderåsens National Park!
Naturum in Koster is all about the national park, and the 12,000 species that live there. They have a “petting zoo” where along with the guide you can touch some of the different animals that exist under the sea. There is also a great diorama showing the ocean depth around the area which explains why this area was made a National Park in the first place. I would say you need at least an hour to explore Naturum properly, but if you have less time it’s definitely still worth a stop by! Find more information about the exhibits and opening times on this page.
Kayak with Koster Adventures
Kayaking in Kosterhavets National Park has been on my bucket list since the day I moved here 5 years ago. With Koster Adventures, there’s a few different trips you can do, either hiring kayaks and exploring yourself or taking a guided tour. They have two guided tours, one taking half a day where you head out to an island for fika and some snorkelling, and the other taking a whole day where you kayak all the way out to the lighthouse on Ursholmen. Unfortunately the wind was too high for us to kayak on this trip, but we have plans to return very soon! You can see all of Koster Adventures kayak trips on this page.
Cycle around South Koster
If you can hire a bike, I would recommend it! The Koster Islands are car-free and basically made for cycling. With a bike, you can explore so much more of the island. We hired our bikes from Kläpphagen (where we stayed) and took them out for a trip around South Koster, finding some beautiful sandy beaches and colourful harbours! We then took them over the North Koster for the afternoon. If you are not staying at Kläpphagen, you can rent a bike from Kostercykeln at Koster Ekenäs harbour!
Places to see: The best way to really explore the island is to just head out and see what you find, but if you need a few starting points then I can recommend the viewpoint Ramnefjällsvägen (map), Breviks Fiskehamn (map), and these beautiful beaches (map, map).
Explore North Koster
North Koster is the more “rugged” of the two islands, with raw nature and sandy beaches and fewer houses than the south island. To get to North Koster, you can either take the ferry over or you can ride the cable ferry. This is a very small ferry that crosses between the two harbours. Locals have members cards and can cross all year round, but it’s also open to the public every day from June until mid-August. If you are visiting in this period, you can buy tickets with card. Outside of this period you will have to wait for the big ferry or be lucky and travel across with a local. Find out more details here.
When you are on North Koster, the southern part of the island is still very much accessible via bike. However, as you get further North you will have to leave your bike parked and walk the remainder of the way to the coast.
Tips: A few tips on where to start exploring are this beach and the coastline down to Björnsängen (map), and the area in the north between this beach (map) and Lyths På Nordkoster camping.
Eat at Kläpphagen
Kläpphagen’s restaurant is a “must visit” while you are on Koster! The food here is phenomenal, with dishes inspired by the local landscape, using as many local ingredients as possible (including some things grown on the premises), all cooked over wood fire! They have an open kitchen with seats along the bar so you can get a close up view of the flames, or they have a beautiful and bright glassed area perfect for bigger groups. We had an amazing meal here, starting with oysters from Sweden’s only oyster farm (located in Koster), followed by white asparagus and black caviar. The third course was mussels in a chilli and ginger marinade, followed by crayfish and cod caught by a local fisherman. Every single dish was delicious, with complex flavours highlighting the quality ingredients, all underlined with the hint of the wood fire. Even the ice cream we had for dessert was made with wood-fired vanilla! You can find Kläpphagen’s menu here.
In the summer, Kläpphagen is open daily for lunch and dinner, with a BBQ in the garden every Saturday. You can book a table in advance, and if you are visiting off season I recommend checking their opening times on this page.
Overview: Visiting Strömstad and the Koster Islands
Kosterhavets National Park, the Koster islands, and Strömstad, make for the perfect long weekend away! Whether you are looking for a cosy city escape with good food, shopping, and perhaps a sauna, or a nature inspired trip out to a unique island, there is something for everyone! In this guide, I have included everything we did on our trip to Strömstad and Koster and as many details to help you plan your own as possible. Obviously, there is way more to discover here so I will make sure to update this post after our next visit (and every visit after that!).
Exploring more of the West Coast? You might also enjoy:
- West Sweden Map: Save all the best spots on Koster, Strömstad, and West Sweden to your phone!
- 7 Day West Sweden road trip
- 10 day Scandinavia Itinerary
- Top 10 things to do in Gothenburg
- Similar places: Åstol, Marstrand, Dyrön, Gothenburg Archipelago, Smögen
- Best places to visit during the seasons in Sweden: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
