Misterhults skärgård, Naturreservat

The Misterhult archipelago is one of the county's largest nature reserves. Among some 2000 islands, islets, skerries, rocks and boats, you can experience a piece of archipelago nature at its best. Here you will find bare rocky outcrops with nesting seabirds, islands with old village centers and flora-rich land, as well as forested islands where unusual species linked to dead wood have a sanctuary. Many different species of fish spawn in the protected archipelago, and gray and harbor seals thrive in the outer archipelago.

What's new in the reserve in 2025

The county administrative board's budget for nature conservation and outdoor life sometimes changes and right now we have less money to allocate. The priority is then to manage our natural values in the first place and outdoor recreation facilities in the second place. As a result, this year we are closing a number of toilets in reserves and removing rubbish bins in several protected areas in the county.

In Misterhult, the toilets on Brändö, Stora Vippholmen, Älö and Vinö are all affected and all waste management ceases.

Welcome out into nature

Authentic fishing villages, deep pine forests, lush deciduous forests and a rich plant and animal life both above and below the surface - Misterhult's archipelago offers an archipelago experience beyond the ordinary. There is no regular boat service, so to get out into the archipelago you need to have your own boat. Or kayak, the archipelago is popular paddling waters. To protect nesting birds and seals when they give birth to their young, there are a number of areas in the Misterhult archipelago that are bird and seal protection areas. Where the areas are located and what time of year it is possible to visit the areas is shown on the reserve map below. Fishing with hand gear is free, but you are not allowed to fish with fixed gear such as nets or bottom nets.

Valuable cultural environments

People have lived and worked in the archipelago since the Bronze Age. In several places, there are substantial cairns and other grave forms. In the outer archipelago, there are empty buildings from the 11th-13th centuries, the remains of simple buildings that fishermen stayed in when they were fishing. The archipelago was populated by settlers in the late Middle Ages. Since then, generations of archipelago farmers have used the land and sea for their livelihood. Agriculture has been the main industry, but fishing and hunting have also been important. Today, there are almost no living archipelago farms left, but several islands still have their genuine village structure. On Örö and Marsö the meadows are still mowed and on Älö there are grazing animals.

Rich plant and animal life

The islands of the nature reserve have many different types of habitats, from bare rocks in the outer archipelago to lush deciduous forest, grazed pastures and lean pine forest in the central and inner parts. For those interested in botany, a visit to Örö is a must. With its more than 400 species, the island is the archipelago's most species-rich when it comes to vascular plants. The village's hay meadows account for a large part of the species richness, where tar flower, cowslip, light coneflower, bloodwort and tulkwort grow. On several of the reserve's islands there are valuable rocky forests, deciduous coniferous forests and deciduous groves. The forests are full of dead trees, both standing (dry bark) and lying (flames), and hollow trees. Many lichens, fungi and insects live on and in the dead wood. Adjacent to the old farmland are trees that have been used for harvesting leaves (pollarded trees). These trees are also important for many species, especially beetles and lichens.

Rich in birds

Misterhult's vast archipelago is an excellent environment for seabirds. Eider, lapwing, greylag goose, grebe and many more thrive here. Less common species include skuas and razorbills. White-tailed eagles are once again a common sight, after being almost extinct in the 1970s and 80s. Barn owls have also recovered and are seen regularly.

Below the surface

Three quarters of the reserve's surface is water. Beneath the surface are rich marine environments with seaweed belts, mussel beds and eelgrass beds. The protected archipelago provides important spawning grounds for herring, whitefish, perch, pike and many other fish species. The shallow marine areas are also valuable for a wide variety of seabirds, which have everything from small crustaceans to fish on their menu.

Tones from the sea

After a sharp decline in the number of gray seals in the 1980s, the gray seal is once again a characteristic species in the archipelago. In the northern part of the reserve is the Örö sankor seal sanctuary, where the seals spend much of the year and also give birth to their young. On calm days you may be lucky enough to hear their distinctive song. Harbour seals are also found in the archipelago.

The four inhabited islands in the reserve

Örö

Örö in the northeastern part of the archipelago is distinctive. It is dominated by oak forests in an otherwise pine-dominated archipelago. In addition to oak, the deciduous forests also contain aspen, birch, alder, rowan and oxel. Örö is the island in the Misterhult archipelago with the highest number of vascular plants - over 400 species. The village has hay meadows that are traditionally mown by the village team. They are rich in flowers, with tar flowers, cowslip, light coneflower, bloodwort and tulkwort. On the western part of the island, Hartman's sedge occurs sparsely in leafy margins. This is its only habitat in the municipality.

Strupö

Strupö boasts an unusually sheltered natural harbor that was probably much sought after in older times. The village has also had its natural place here in the harbor ever since the island was inhabited. The buildings are well clustered and most of the farms date from the late 1800s. The island's history lies primarily in its position as a pilot lookout, between 1666 and 1933 there was a pilot station built here. Today you can walk a nature trail around the island, including up to the place where the old pilot lookout was located.

Älö

Älö is a very hilly island, the highest point reaches 24 meters above sea level and although most of the island is significantly lower, the steep, sharply cut rocky knobs dominate the visual impression. On the south-eastern part of Snuggö there is grove-like vegetation. Such areas are quite unusual in the archipelago, and here you will find musk, red bladderwort, spinach, whitethorn, lesser celandine, larkspur and toothwort.

Marsö

Marsö is located in the southernmost part of the nature reserve Misterhults norra skärgård. At the center of the area is the main island of Marsö with its fishing village, old hay fields and traces of old archipelago farming. On Kuggen, opposite Marsö, there are no buildings. Instead, there are lichen-covered rocks, marshes and water lily-covered pools that give the visitor a magical and wild impression.

Visitor information

Strupö is a popular island for canoeists - however, there is no fresh water on this island.

Hiking trails are available on Örö and Strupö. There are hiking trails on several other islands, including Marsö and Älö.

Visitors are also welcome to land with their own boat on the inhabited islands. Always ask where it is appropriate to dock so that you do not disturb other traffic.

Dry docks on Brändö, Älö, Stora Vippholmen, Örö and Istergås are closed.