Gotland is Sweden’s little paradise. A charming place that made us forget about the dark winter and snowy spring we went through this year. This is what my partner Arthur and I found out when visiting the island.

Quick guide to Gotland Swedens little paradise in Sweden (updated for 2025).

Getting there and local transport

You get to the island either by ferry or plane – both take you to the town of Visby. We took the ferry and the crossing was a pleasant short trip of about 3 hours.

Once you arrive, the best way to explore the island is by car. Before renting one, just make sure your driver license is valid. You can also bring your own car on the ferry.

This was not our case, so we had to awaken our inner explorers and athletes. We used the limited* (but available) public transport and tons of bicycling, which we rented.

*During the summer there are changes on the public transport’s availability and even if they are working you can’t get to all places using it.

Stay

Besides the usual hotel and Airbnb offers there are many camping spots across the island if you want to be even closer to nature.

Attractions

There are plenty of attractions in Gotland! Visby old town is lovely. There’s plenty of scenery around Visby, like the stunning view from Högklint. The Själsö Bageri has an amazing view for an unforgettable fika. The smaller island of Fårö, in the North, has a stunning sand beach. Blå Lagunen is another popular attraction and has to be seen to be believed.

The nice locals

Our trip was not uneventful, luckily we had help from nice local people.

At some point, we got stranded in Fårö as the public transport takes cash only (there was no ATM in the area). One of the bar owners was kind enough to charge our credit card and get us cash – a life saver!

In Fårösund we could not make sense of the bus timetable. Out of options, we asked one local if the bus we needed would stop there. He was unsure but was so nice that he crossed the street and checked the confusing timetable to give us an answer.

Food

Surprisingly, the food is cheaper – and I would say, better – than in Stockholm. Maybe it is the summer mood. ¯ _ (ツ) _ / ¯

As Newbies, we highly recommend this trip! Like the Archipelagos, Gotland is a must go, especially when the weather is good. For more information check out Gotland’s Official Visitors Guide.

Further reading

• Work in Sweden guides
• Learn Swedish

FAQs

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