On the islands

Where the stone pier out to the first island begins, there is a beach on either side. The beach facing the sea is a small, child-friendly sandy beach. Right beside it are boulders that are popular crab-fishing spots for children. A little further along the same way there is a slightly larger, shallow shell-sand beach. On the other side of the stone pier there is another beach. Boats are often pulled up here, and the beach is a little muddy a bit further out. But plenty of children go exploring here. Next to the beach is a jetty with many boats. This is also where the toilet and fresh water are. At the start of the stone pier there are also a few bathing huts. An information board is mounted on the end wall of these. Just nearby, by the footpath, there is a larger information board as well.

On the way out along the stone pier there is a low wooden jetty on the inner side. A good deal of crab fishing goes on here too. Halfway along the stone pier there is a small bridge where smaller boats can pass through.

Badholmen

The first island, seen from land, is called Badholmen. On the seaward side, the last stretch consists of a wooden windbreak wall that continues into the kiosk and the bathing huts. On the inner side is the floating starting jetty for the swimming lane, and a little way out in the water the floating 25-metre jetty. There is also a stone stairway leading right down into the water. The depth at the starting jetty is about 1.5 to 2 metres and increases towards the 25-metre jetty. The bottom is sand and diving is allowed. At the stone stairway the water is only a couple of decimetres deep. Perfect for the youngest ones learning to swim. You can cheat and keep one foot on the bottom here. The depth increases gradually out towards the swimming lane. On the island, wooden jetties run all the way around the swimming lane.

At the top of the island there is a sheltered lookout point. On the western side there are a trampoline, bathing ladders and a diving tower. There are bathing huts in three different places. The sauna is on this island and is open all year except in high summer. The rocks on the outer side have been polished by water and by the ice sheet, and are beautifully rounded and soft to the touch.

The outer part of Badholmen is almost separated into another island. On this outer rock there are fine granite slabs that are popular places to sunbathe. A bridge has been built across the cleft here. A small channel connects these two bathing coves, both of which have bathing ladders. The sauna lies by the inner cove. The bridge then continues over the outermost rock and on, by a new bridge, to the next island.

Mittholmen

Mittholmen is the smallest island. It consists only of fine granite slabs, also popular for sunbathing. There are no ladders or bathing huts here.

Fiskholmen (Biskopsholmen)

The outermost island is full of variety. It is divided in two by a cove with a sandy beach, flanked by cliffs several metres high. A stone pier has been built across the cove so that a sheltered pool has formed. The pool is no deeper than about a metre at its deepest point. There are bathing huts by the beach. Behind them, towards Mittholmen, there is a bathing stairway.

On the inner half of Fiskholmen, facing Bovallstrand, there are fine granite slabs, sheltered hollows and a small patch of grass. There is also a trampoline and a bathing ladder. This is where the seine trestle stands.

To reach the outer half you go through a narrow passage that leads out to the outer parts of the island. Here too there are fine granite slabs, high cliffs and a bathing ladder. From the rocks around the ladder you can jump into the water. The depth is about four metres or more. The rocks are roughly two to three metres high.

The kiosk on Badholmarna is open in summer when the weather is fine. It sells sweets, ice cream, biscuits, coffee, tea, soft drinks and fruit. There are usually beach toys, nets, sun cream and crab lines too.

The kiosk is also where the water and air temperatures are measured. A board with the current readings is posted beside the kiosk.

Our kiosk is not run by AB Bovallstrands Badinrättning (Badholmarna); it is leased out year by year. If you are interested, contact us at info@badholmarna.com.

The seine trestle on Fiskholmen has been rebuilt, though a little smaller than the old one that stood there. Its position has been adjusted slightly towards the original spot, so as not to encroach on popular sunbathing places. The present trestle was finished in 2025, when the previous one — raised in 2002 — needed replacing.

Thanks to ICA Nära Bovall, who paid for the new trestle.

The trestle was once used for drying the seine. A seine is a kind of fishing net used to catch herring. The herring were encircled with the net, and by drawing the bottom together the catch could be secured. It worked rather like a large landing net. The net was also known as a purse seine. The trestles usually stood close to the water beside a good flat rock, so that the net was easy to unload from the boat. Ropes were then used to haul it up onto the trestle to dry. The seine crew that used this trestle was called “Bocken”, pronounced “Bockarne”.

There is a defibrillator at Badholmarna. It is kept in the bathing hut nearest the kiosk and is accessible all year round — you do not need to ask anyone in order to fetch it.

In an emergency, always call an ambulance first on 112.

Dogs are not allowed anywhere on the Badholmarna bathing site. The ban was decided by Sotenäs municipality and appears in the municipality’s local public order regulations, § 17. Three other bathing sites in the municipality are covered by the same ban.

Questions about the ban are answered by the environmental and public health office at Sotenäs municipality.

The book about Badholmarna costs 200 kronor and can be bought in three places:

• ICA Nära in Bovallstrand
• The kiosk on Badholmarna
• Gösta Hansson’s tobacconist on Smögen

We also send it by post against postage. Email your address to info@badholmarna.com.

You will find us on Facebook and Instagram.

That is where we post pictures and short notes between updates of this site — the water temperature, when the sauna is lit, how the cleaning day went.