Luxury Yacht Charter Destination - The Stockholm Archipelago and Gotland - Part II

In my previous article, our last port of call wasused to call home) has a large area of rock
Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago. Today, we'llformations, an old viking harbor, bike rentals, and one
cruise on over to the island of Gotland. There are norestaurant, bar, café and shop. Farosund, the
luxury yachts available for charter on Gotland, butnorthernmost village on Gotland, is a tad more lively
many in Stockholm, so this is the way to go.with a few restaurants and shops. Slite, on the east
From Sandhamn, it is about a 24-hour sail to reachcoast, is often overlooked by tourists since it's mainly
Gotland. This beautiful island, surprisingly unknown toknown for its Cement factory, but the town (the
foreigners, is a favorite vacation destination amongsecond largest on the island after Visby) also has a
Swedes. First-time Swedish visitors often commentnice, sandy beach, tennis club, and a few stores and
that it feels like being abroad, perhaps somewhere inrestaurants, although not much in the way of
the Mediterranean. Having grown up on Gotland, I amnightlife.
perhaps biased, but from the medieval, walled-inKatthammarsvik, further down on the east coast, is
cobble-stoned city of Visby to the stark, windblown,an old fishing village with a locally famous seafood
sheep-studded landscape of Faro, Gotland truly is asmoke house (try the smoked shrimp), several
spectacular and fascinating place.restaurants, cafes, shops and sandy beaches. A bit
Visby, the only city on the island, gets quite crowdedfurther down the coast lies Ljugarn, one of the most
in the summer, and if you like an intense nightlife, youpopular vacation spots, and the one with the most
definitely want to check it out. "Everybody" inactive nightlife, on this coast. Ljugarn has a beautiful
Sweden shows up in Visby at some point in July:white sandy beach, a few museums and several
celebrities, politicians and royalty alike. Afterrestaurants, pubs and cafes. If you go all the way
mid-August, however, most of the tourists are gone,down the coast and head back up on the west
so if you have your heart set on Visby but don'tcoast, you arrive in Burgsvik, the southernmost village
want to fight the crowds, that's a great time to visit.on the island. Burgsvik has a nice, sandy beach, a few
September can also be beautiful, with summershops and restaurants, a farmer's market every
warmth lingering well into the month. To the surpriseSaturday in the summer, and several artisans with
of many, the water around Gotland gets quite warmshops. A bit south of Burgsvik is one of the most
in the summer - it can reach 80F and above inwell known rock formations on Gotland,
August and sometimes way into September as well.Hoburgsgubben (The Hoburg Man), who, according to
It is a lovely experience to go swimming when theone American friend, looks like Richard Nixon.
water is warmer than the air and then treat yourselfGotland is also a popular biking destination, and most
to a hot chocolate or a vin chaud afterwards.towns have bike rentals (in Visby you can also rent
But you can find quiet spots with very few visitors allcars, scooters and motorcycles) so if you want to
over the island even in July (with varying degrees, orsee more than the coastal areas, that's a fun way to
lack, of nightlife). There are several other portsdo it.
around the island well worth a stop: LickershamnThere are of course many more harbors and
(about 13 miles north of Visby), a small fishing villagebeautiful places to visit, both in the Stockholm
with a few beaches, restaurants and shops, and thearchipelago and on Gotland, but these are some
highest rock formation (of which there are many) onplaces to start with, and I hope I have inspired you
Gotland called "Jungfrun". Lauterhorn on Faro (a smallto explore the Baltic on your next yacht charter
island just north of Gotland, which Ingmar Bergmanvacation.