Today I am writing up on my favorite island in Stockholm's archipelago as of yet, the island of Utö. Last year, I felt that I wanted to go a bit further out on the archipelago and not only an hour away, so my friends and I decided to take a three and a half hour ferry ride to the island of Utö! I was smitten the second I stepped off of the boat, I had an instantaneous feeling of happiness and excitement for the day ahead of me. Part of this might have been because we were quite far south in the archipelago, which also felt like we were miles from nowhere in the Baltic sea.

On the island you will see the famous windmill, which is over 200 years old (built in the 18th century) and can be seen from many parts of the island and also has fantastic views of the sea and the harbor. Utö is also famous for having the oldest iron-ore mines in Sweden. Today you can see the mines, which are now filled with water and over 215 feet deep as well as the old mine itself. A unique fact about Utö is that the island as well as the surrounding islands have the mineral, Holmquistite, which is only found here and on the island of Madagascar.

There are about 250 people living on the island year round and they have one of the largest primary schools in the archipelago located on the island of Utö. Utö also hosts a large Christmas market annually, attracting people from neighboring islands as well as Stockholmers.

Besides finding your perfect lying out spot on one of the many rocks, there is also a golf course, tennis court, horseback riding, canoe and bike rental for exploring the island on your own, and you can go on sightseeing and fishing boating tours.

During the summer time, the bakery is open and you will find three restaurants to choose from, one being the Utö Vardshus, which is open year round. Visitors will also be happy to find that besides a large hotel and hostel, there is the possibility to camp and hire cottages near the sea.

There is so much to be done on this island and one day is simply not enough to experience all it has to offer! Also in the summer, you will find many live bands performing outside as well as activities to participate in. I hope to find myself going back this summer for a long weekend and perhaps do a little island hopping nearby....

How to get out to the archipelago - the main ferry company going to nearly all the islands is Waxholmsbolaget, and on their website you can find timetables as well as local traffic within the islands. In the high season, you can take most of your trips from Strömkajen, which is in front of The Grand Hotel. For some islands that are a bit further out, or not as popular, you usually must take either a bus or commuter train to one of the many ferry points and then catch a ferry. Besides using Washolmsbolaget to plan your journey, you can also go to SL, which serves Stockholm's local traffic via bus, metro, and commuter trains and then plan your trip from there.

Talia Klundt is the Europe Editor for Wandering Educators

The Archipelago Series:

Stockholm's Archipelago: Finnhamn

Stockholm's Archipelago: Fjäderholmarna

Stockholm's Archipelago: Muskö and Torö

Stockholm's Archipelago: Nåttarö

Stockholm's Archipelago: Sandhamn

Stockholm's Archipelago: Utö

Stockholm's Archipelago: Vaxholm