Nämdöskärgården National Park: Uncharted waters

By Nane Steinhoff

Just an hour by boat from Stockholm awaits Nämdöskärgården National Park, a pioneering marine protected area where conservation and low-impact tourism intertwine. Here, visitors can explore a striking coastal landscape shaped by both nature and history, guided by rangers who carefully balance biodiversity protection with welcoming and informing curious explorers.

“The powerful silence, the lapping of waves, and the roaring storms,” smiles Ann-Sofi Andersson when asked what she enjoys most about her place of work. While talking, she gazes across the wild, windswept landscape dotted with rocky islets, skerries and red wooden houses from the 19th century. Andersson works as a ranger in Nämdöskärgården National Park, the second addition to Sweden’s marine national park network.

As Sweden’s first marine national park in the Baltic Sea (Kosterhavet Marine National Park opened on the country’s west coast in 2009) and the country’s 31st national park, it was officially inaugurated on 5 September last year. Located southeast of Stockholm, in Stockholm County, the park covers around 25,000 hectares of which a whopping 97 per cent are sea habitat. With high biodiversity above and below the water, the marine park focuses on protecting the pristine habitats, as well as fostering low-impact tourism activities such as hiking and kayaking.

Blue mussels and red algae in the nearby Lilla Nassa archipelago. Photo: Sveriges Vattenekologer

Nature and history

Andersson works on Bullerö, one of the national park’s approximately 1,000 islands, which also acts as its main entrance. From here, visitors can explore everything the park has to offer, from abundant wildlife to vast landscapes. While it is the wild nature most visitors come to experience, the archipelago also boasts a rich history, stretching back centuries.

Historically, its remote location and myriad rocky islets made it attractive to traditional fishing communities, whose presence is still echoed in the rustic boathouses and cottages scattered across the islands. The nature has been further shaped by the cultivation, grazing, and haymaking of many generations. Even today, cows and Gotland sheep are used for nature management purposes, as their grazing prevents overgrowth and maintains biodiversity.

In the early 20th century, the island of Bullerö became particularly famous as the retreat of Bruno Liljefors, the renowned Swedish wildlife artist, who hosted many prominent cultural figures at his hunting lodge. The lodge has since been converted and now serves as an information centre about the marine park, showcasing exhibitions about the life of Bruno Liljefors and the archipelago’s natural history. Over the years, Bullerö has transitioned from private ownership to protected status, playing a vital role in regional conservation efforts and, more recently, becoming an integral part of Sweden’s ambitious marine national park initiatives.

Nämdöskärgården National Park: Uncharted waters

Cows on Bullerö Island. Photo: The County Administrative Board Stockholm

Protecting the habitat

Previously a teacher, Andersson started working on Bullerö several years ago when the island formed part of a protected nature reserve long before the marine park’s establishment. In addition to Bullerö, the Långviksskär nature reserve also existed in the area already. Together with fellow rangers and other key stakeholders, she dedicated considerable effort to making the marine park a reality. “Establishing a national park in this particular area has long been on the agenda,” she explains. “Mainly because of the unique landscape that should be preserved for all time, but also because a large part of the area has been state-owned for a long time. In Sweden, national parks must be state-owned.”

Nämdöskärgården and its protection are part of Sweden’s national focus on nature and ocean conservation efforts. Recently, the government banned bottom trawling – one of the most destructive fishing methods – in Sweden’s marine national parks, a ruling that will come into effect by July 2026.

Now that the archipelago has officially been turned into a marine national park, Andersson hopes that more information can be gathered about the local biodiversity’s current state to further protect it. To date, the ranger team has put measures in place to protect wild vegetation and preserve the landscapes shaped by farming over centuries, as well as combat invasive species such as the American mink. First introduced for fur farming in the 1920s, the species now poses a major threat to local biodiversity. In two northern bays of Bullerö, shallow water protection zones prohibiting the use of anchors and motorboats have further been established to protect Nämdöskärgården’s diverse underwater world.

The large jetty at Hemviken on Bullerö. Photo: Länsstyrelsen Stockholms län

Exploring the wildlife

The park’s waters, shaped by varying depths, wave exposures, and seabed types, provide habitats for a wealth of marine species, from shoals of fish darting through eelgrass beds and bladder wrack belts, to vast mussel banks and various seabirds nesting on rocky skerries. On land, coastal forests and wildflower meadows with their own unique flora and fauna dominate. “The area is home to waterfowl and wildlife such as roe deer, moose, and seals,” adds Andersson. “You can see majestic sea eagles almost daily, and if you’re lucky, you can even spot otters.”

In contrast, Ann Aldeheim, project coordinator for the non-profit association Nämdö Green Archipelago, which seeks to establish the first biosphere reserve in the archipelago, explains the main issues the region’s underwater habitats face: “All the problems of the Baltic Sea – eutrophication, toxins, overfishing, algal blooms, and so on – naturally affect this area as well.” It is precisely this fragile balance between thriving biodiversity and a multitude of threats that the new marine national park seeks to tip in favour of nature conservation. “Increased visitor pressure can also lead to greater wear on nature,” adds Aldeheim, highlighting the need for sustainable low-impact tourism such as snorkelling, hiking and kayaking.

Creating awareness

One of the biggest obstacles to inspiring more people to care about nature conservation is that it is difficult for them to love and protect what they do not know. Responsible low-impact tourism focused on enjoyment, rather than exploitation, can help bridge this gap. “Visitors play an important role in the area. To care about nature, you need to build a relationship with it; something you can only gain by experiencing it,” explains Aldeheim, highlighting the national park’s aim to make the archipelago’s exceptional biodiversity more accessible to visitors. “Visitors can educate themselves, share their knowledge with others, and become ambassadors for nature.” She highlights that, by directing visitors to the right places, sensitive areas can be protected and that sustainable tourism, when done right, can have a positive impact on the local community by creating jobs and providing a basis for year-round public services; something that “the Stockholm archipelago truly needs.”

Only accessible by boat, Nämdöskärgården offers an unparalleled sense of freedom with self-sufficient and low-impact adventures. Visitors can explore on foot along one of the many hiking trails, explore by boat or kayak, stay in some of the rustic, nature-focused cabins and small campsites, or even wild camp which is allowed under Allemansrätten (Right of Public Access) in the area for a night or two. Regardless of the chosen way and season to explore Nämdöskärgården, “a visit is always a fantastic experience,” says Andersson and rounds off: “The horizon, the bare skerries, and the beautiful tones of sky and sea make the area one of the most beautiful.”

The national park’s main entrance is located on Bullerö Island. Photo: Ann-Sofi Andersson

Good to know:

- During peak season (between June and September), regular boat services run from Stavsnäs Vinterhamn to Bullerö and Rågskär, as well as Skogavik on Braka.
- Guided tours are available during peak season.
- Bring your own food and drinks, asnone are sold within the park.
- Recommended accommodation options within or near the park include Bullerö, Idöborg, and the conveniently located island of Dalarö.

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