The Runde island on Sunnmøre has the Norwegian Sea as its nearest neighbor. One of the most important nesting places for puffins is found on the west side of the Runde mountain. The S-shaped road on the mountain slope in the picture above is the road up to the plateau and the two peaks on Rundefjellet. The first part is paved and quite steep. Further up to the plateau, the trail is paved with stone slabs to withstand the 40,000 - 50,000 people who visit the island annually in

Nötholmen is an idyllic island at the gateway to Strømstad harbor. To get there, you have to go through a small neighborhood with narrow streets and canals where residents have their boats moored below the terrace. In the middle of the residential area there is a small sandy beach for the smallest. Nøtholmen was originally an island that became a peninsula when the passage between the island and the mainland was sealed by sand and gravel from the ocean currents. When entrepre

Just outside Strömstad lies the Koster Islands. It consists of two larger islands and numerous islets. Here time has passed slowly. Nature is typical of Bohuslän. The ice has shaped and rounded mountains and rocks. The vegetation is windblown, but beautiful. In southern Koster, bicycle is the most common means of transport. There are a few cars, but they are used for business activities. Three-wheeled mopeds with a small load plan are frequently used by the locals. The island

An hour's drive from Strømstad in Sweden you'll find a small island called Hållö - right outside the tourist resort Smögen. Here thousands years ago the ice polished the mountain and made soft, rounded shapes. The ferry to the island takes only 10 minutes in peaceful speed from Smögen on the west coast of Sweden. The island has very little vegetation and the peak altitude is not many meters above sea level, but on the top there is a lighthouse that has been important for boat

A 20 minute boat ride from Santa Pola just outside Alicante is a small, flat island that has been both a haven for pirates and a prison for dangerous prisoners. For hundreds of years, African pirates used the good harbor on the north side of the island as a base for attacks both on merchant ships and on the coastal population of the Alican region. Already in 1427 it was proposed to make a fort on the island to prevent pirates occupying the island which they used as a base for

Styrsö is the closest neighbor on the mainland to the Koster Islands. Here you can rent rooms at the hostel or simply enjoy the fine sandy beach. You only come here by boat, either private boat or with the Koster boats. That is the reason why the beach rarely or never is too crowded. On the beach you will find a small kiosk where you can also buy some food. The beach is nice for children. On the gray days you can have the place for yourself if it is a bit out of season. On th

Kalvøya is one of Bærum's most popular seaside resorts. It is located just outside the Kadettangen connected by a footbridge. On the south side there are benches overlooking the archipelago in inner Oslofjord. Kadettangen is also a large beautiful bathing area with both grassy and sandy beaches. The island was used for grazing in the summer for calves from Nesøya estate in the 16th century. That is why it's called Kalvøya (island of the calves). Today, the large grasslands ar