Häradsskär stands as the last outpost in the south of the broad Östgöta archipelago. Here you encounter the open sea with an endless horizon from the bare cliffs where the Heidenstam lighthouse from 1863 guides seafarers heading toward the coast. Just getting here by kayak can be a small adventure in itself. You can spend the night in one of the cabins on the island if you book in advance, or bring your own tent.

Start and finish: Fyrudden, a fishing harbor outside Valdemarsvik; alternatively Ekön campsite with kayak rental just south of Fyrudden.

Distance: 22 km round trip

Difficulty: Medium bordering on difficult. The last 3 kilometers out to Häradsskär cross open waters exposed to weather and wind.

The trip offers: Finely carved archipelago, Sandö lighthouse at the fairway into the archipelago, lagoon, open sea, old pilot station, and the Heidenstam lighthouse on Häradsskär.

Kayak rental: Ostkusten kajak, Kustcamp Ekön, Gryt. www.ostkustenkajak.se; phone: 073-0410388

My paddling trip

From Fyrudden harbor I cross the open bay straight east toward Kättilö, one of the year-round inhabited islands in this part of the archipelago. I follow the island's western shore southward down to the southernmost point, Bådudden. Here I catch a glimpse of the open sea to the south between Kviholmen and Lilla Barnsö. It is late afternoon and with a warming sun at my back I have decided to make an evening paddle to Häradsskär to experience the open sea and enjoy the beautiful sunset at sea. The day's wave action, reinforced by the afternoon sea breeze, still provides a somewhat bumpy ride when shelter is not offered behind islands and skerries. But north of Barnsö there is shelter. I come out into the outer fairway leading into the archipelago from the south. Only a few late sailors disturb the silence in the otherwise quite busy fairway. Sandö lighthouse marks the approach from the south and here the open sea is to starboard. After Vässlingsö I quickly paddle into Alsundet and turn right into the lagoon surrounded by Lisselfjärd and Ekholmen to the south and Långholmen to the north. This is a popular spot for boaters but right now it is quiet and still. No boats in sight. Dusk is falling as I set course straight for Häradsskär across open water. Now the waves have settled. It is quiet and still. A fantastic pink evening light rests over the water. The lighthouse and the pilot lookout on Häradsskär stand out sharply against the horizon three kilometers further out to sea. I go ashore in the small harbor on the western side of Häradsskär. A good alternative for landing is the strait between Häradsskär and Stångskär. It is best to approach from the north as the southern entrance is borderline too shallow to pass through. On Stångskär below the old lighthouse keepers' residences there is a level grassy area to land at. The view from the cliffs over the sea is almost magical in the late evening light reflecting in the tower windows of the pilot lookout. The lighthouse station actually consists of two islands, Häradsskär and Stångskär, connected to each other via a footbridge. But I don't have time to explore this further on this occasion. I get back in the kayak after a short meal break and begin the return journey the same way I came. Now on the way back the water is completely still. The dark silhouettes of the islands are reflected in the water and the remaining shadows grow ever longer. Sandö lighthouse at the fairway into the archipelago from the south is however clearly visible. It is nearly dark by the time I reach Barnsö where I pitch the dome tent on a cliff on the island's southwestern side where I had previously camped many years ago.

The next morning brings sunshine and light winds. The open bay Flisdjupet to the south lies calm, the sea heaving in heavy, soft swells. There are no problems launching. I follow the south side of the row of islands that separate the dense archipelago to the north from the open sea to the south. The rocky southern shores of Kviholmen and Skrakholmen pass on the starboard side. Off the stern quarter I can make out the silhouette of the lighthouse and the radar mast on Häradsskär in the backlight. I cross Flisörännan over to Ekön campsite and beach where I go ashore next to the kayak rental. I take a quick swim at the floating dock just offshore and prepare a soup on the camp stove before once again climbing down into the cockpit. I paddle through Flisörännan northward. Here the inner coastal fairway runs along the shore so boat traffic can at times be busy. Right now it is calm, only a few pleasure boats pass at a leisurely pace. Ahead of me lies Fyrudden harbor. I round the pier and paddle in from the north to the ramp located on the north side of the harbor complex. Here no other boats are in the way. I go ashore and pull up the kayak so it is not blocking the way.

History of the area

Häradsskär and Stångskär form their own small archipelago at the very outermost edge of the sea band. There are no longer any permanent residents, but people have lived here for hundreds of years. As early as the Middle Ages, fishermen stayed here seasonally. In 1697 it was decreed that Häradsskär should have a permanent pilot. In 1775, seven pilot families lived on the island. On Stångskär there was early on a pole marker in the form of a tall pole with a white barrel on top. The pole marker is mentioned as early as the 1600s and has given the island its name. In 1745 it was replaced by a beacon, considered at the time to be the country's most beautiful. In 1863 the beacon was replaced by a Heidenstam iron lighthouse and with that, lighthouse keepers moved out to Stångskär and the population thus increased further. Between 1888 and 1935, so many people lived here that a school was required. In 1960 the lighthouse was electrified and thus no longer required manning. Piloting continued until 1968. The lighthouse is a so-called landfall light; from the open sea one should be able to use the lighthouse's characteristics to safely determine one's position and make landfall along the coast and the fairways nearest the shore. Other types of lighthouses include leading lights and range lights. The islands were fortified during World War II and the Cold War. Nowadays this has been removed or demolished. However, a modern fifty-meter-tall radar mast belonging to the military remains.