This postcard of pebble stones from Sandhamn is very misleading, but I just rather liked how it looked! Sandhamn is actually an island blessed with white sandy beaches, and I was lucky enough to spend a night on the island a few weeks ago during my trip to Stockholm with my good friend Imy.

I’m guessing that the island’s name won’t ring too many bells, as it’s (thankfully!) relatively unknown on the international tourist trail. In my opinion Sweden in general is very underappreciated by foreigners, but it’s an idyllic country and well-worth a visit! We loved the atmosphere in Sweden, the sense of Scandi cool, the relaxed but orderly pace of the locals and their love for nature. I had wanted to visit Sweden for a while, however I knew very little about Stockholm itself, as it doesn’t seem that touristed. So while researching the trip we stumbled upon a few suggestions to investigate the Stockholm Archipelago of 30,000 islands too. “Where to start” I thought! The Visit Stockholm Archipelago website gives a good overview of the main islands and their unique features, however it was upon personal recommendations that we eventually opted for Sandhamn. It’s a 2-hour ferry from Stockholm on the edge of the archipelago and it’s a perfect escape into nature. Just 2.7km long, accommodation options on the island are limited (we stayed at the overpriced Seglarhotell) and everything is accessed by a dirt track weaving through a scenic forest. But the beaches make the journey well worthwhile. We visited in the midst of an incredible sunny spell and spent our two days relaxing on the beach to the sound of waves lapping gently onto the shore, as you see from this video below.

        Take me back! It was heavenly, and with the right weather it honestly felt like we were in Mediterranean. Not the water temperature, mind you, it is the Baltic Sea after all!

         I almost don’t want to recommend Sanhamn publicly, as it’s such a lovely island as it is and it would be spoilt by too many visitors, but you can keep a secret right?