Kårholmen – a leisure island with a family-friendly beach
Kårholmen is located between the islands of Donsö, Vrångö and Sjumansholmen in Gothenburg’s southern archipelago. The island is home to around 80 summer cottages and is owned by a cooperative association that rents out the plots to its members. The association has leased, and later owned, Kårholmen since the 1930s.
The cottages were built by the members themselves, mostly using second-hand materials. Each house is numbered in the order it was built – for example, house number 54 stands next to number 76, with number 83 beside number 20.
Kårholmen is open to visitors year-round, and there are several spots for swimming, including a small beach near the boat dock. The Right of Public Access (Allemansrätten) applies, but please do not enter private property.
Sjumansholmen – rocky island with nature reserve
Sjumansholmen is a small island in Gothenburg’s southern archipelago, located between the islands Styrsö, Kårholmen, and Vrångö. It has just over 30 summer cottages.
Since the 1950s, the island has been leased by a cooperative association, while the cottages are privately owned by its members. Sjumansholmen is a very rocky island, with a small area of flat land and slightly denser vegetation. One half of the island is developed with summer cottages, while the other half – formerly a military restricted area – is now a designated nature reserve.
Getting to Kårholmen and Sjumansholmen
You can reach both Kårholmen and Sjumansholmen by ferry from Saltholmen, but please note that this only applies to a few trips and that Sjumansholmen cannot be reached by public transport at the moment (February 2026). Ticket prices are the same as for other public transport within Gothenburg. Read more in our guide Getting to the Gothenburg Archipelago.
For current timetables, visit styrsobolaget.se or plan your journey at vasttrafik.se.