Day 2 – A relaxing Archipelago boat trip

Today was a planned relaxing morning after the previous day’s early start that resulted in a rather busy day. The Airbnb was lovely, bright, and airy and perfect for spending a bit of chill time before setting off on more adventures. For the afternoon, I had booked a 2.5-hour boat trip that travelled around the archipelago from Stockholm to Vaxholm and back. There was a shorter trip on offer, too, of 1.5 hours that included a meal but was already fully booked – so if you want to do any specific trips on certain days, especially if you are only staying a couple of days, it may be worth booking in advance and then cancelling if you change your mind. Most of the tour operators offer a 24-hour cancellation policy. The longer trip was lovely, however, not expensive, and relaxing. The trip offered plenty of fantastic scenery and a commentary on route, plus the weather was good and there were drinks and snacks available on board, too. You could sit up on the deck, but space was limited up there, or you could sit inside – I was lucky enough to be able to sit outside and it was quite warm and not windy as many boat trips tend to be.

Once we reached the village of Vaxholm, you could get off there and get a later boat back, as some people opted to do. I decided that there was probably more to see there than the time I had available so decided not to do this, but later wondered if I should have done. So, if anyone has been to Vaxholm, please let me know your thoughts on it. Vaxholm has a population of around 12,000 and is known as the capital of the archipelago. It takes about an hour by boat from Stockholm. The old quarter is known for its pastel-coloured Edwardian wooden houses, and the harbour and main town has numerous restaurants, art galleries, quaint shops, and cafes, as well as a wealth of activities for all ages that range from hiking to kayaking.

If you fancy doing a more city centre-based boat trip, there are many river cruises on offer to give you another perspective on the city, or, if you have the time, you could do a river trip and a cruise around the archipelago.

My day was nicely finished off by another trip to a great restaurant where I had some local salmon that literally melted in the mouth!