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end of summer, families are starting to head home for work and
school, but many are enjoying one last summer fling. The next
day, called to the sea, I pack my dry bag.
My guide, Mats Andersson, and I launch our kayaks at Södra
Fladen, a small south-facing bay halfway down the island’s cen-
ter, Gruvbyn. Mats lives on Utö and has paddled among many
of the islands in the archipelago, often kayaking between Utö
and Stockholm. For a skilled paddler, it can take eight hours,
but for intermediate folk, it’s easier as a two-day trip from the
Swedish capital.
A watery obstacle course, the bay is scattered with skerries,
or rocky isles. After navigating the passage through two small
islands, Brunskär and Långskär, we’re no longer in the sheltered
waters. Far out in the southern part of the archipelago, Utö isn’t
protected on its south shore, and we encounter choppy seas as
we paddle toward the island’s northern tip.
The brackish water splashes my arms and face, and I learn to
focus exclusively on my body’s actions—paddle, breathe, paddle,
breathe—like a seafaring meditation. As we pass through the
waves, I notice the landscape at Utö’s edge. Granite boulders with
green-gold lichen curve down to the water. Plants and trees hes-
itate higher up the incline, as if too shy to dip a toe into the sea.
We break for a picnic on the islands of Mellankobbarna and
settle in among the low scrub, ferns, and rosy-pink flowers that
Mats identifies as tjärblomster. Between bites, he schools me
on the rights of allemansrätten. Aside from the requirement
not to disturb or destroy, people can forage, catch fish, swim in
lakes, visit beaches, set up a tent, and access any land as long
as they stay out of private gardens and maintain the stipulated
70 meters (229 feet) from a dwelling.
With so many islands in the archipelago, it seems that every-
one can establish camp in their own space, far from other nature
lovers. But what happens when more than one group chooses
to enjoy the same place?
“When you want a small island to yourself, my father has
decided that the naked stretch is the best way to encourage
others to choose a different site,” says Mats. “He stands within
view, without clothes, and takes a few minutes stretching. He
guarantees people will go away.”
I scan the area to see if any boaters are eyeing our private
island, but nobody’s in sight. Even if there were interlopers,
the island is large enough for a few more people. No need to
ditch my clothes.
From Mellankobbarna, it’s a long, straight shot east to
Huvudskär, one of the archipelago’s final outposts. The water JO
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