By bicycle around Möja

It is believed that the island was populated already in the 13th century, when Möja was mentioned in King Valdemar's sailing routes. Today, Möja has 230 inhabitants, compared with the 530 who lived on the island during the 1940's.

You can still get to Möja easily by boat from Stockholm's inner city. The trip takes almost three hours and many of those taking the trip choose to stay a night or two. Möja has many hostels and you will also find food stores, a bakery, a tourist office, restaurants, kayak rental and many bicycle rentals.

Bicycles are an excellent mode of transport on Möja, the roads are good and you are far from being alone as you glide forwards on two wheels.

The boats leaving the city for Möja stop at a number of jetties on the island, so it is good to know where approximately you will be staying overnight or where to begin your day and plan a route. The most popular jetty is Berg, on the southern point of the island where you will find the tourist office, a food store, bicycle rentals by the grill, as well as STF's hostel, a bakery and the restaurant Sommarstället.

I begin my day on Möja by renting a bicycle by the grill at Berg. The seat could have been a little higher but couldn't be adjusted; I prefer too low than too high I guess and peddle off. From Berg there is an excellent bike path the whole way to Långvik, a stretch of nearly 5 km where you bicycle through fantastic nature and see cute small cottages along the way. Having arrived at Långvik, there are lovely cliffs to bathe from which are perfect for a longer rest, a pick nick and a swim in the blue sea. From here you also have a wonderful view of the outer archipelago.

On the way back towards Berg I stop and browse through the villages of Ramsmora and Löka. Ramsmora offers quite a large harbour where the inhabitants tie their boats, but there are also a few guest spaces for the island visitors. Here, there is also an open-all-year-round fish restaurant called Wikströms Fisk (Wikström's Fish); a family owned restaurant that only serves fish caught locally by the fishing boat Kajsa. The other village on the return trip is Loka, a very small archipelago idyll. Here, there is a guest harbour and Loka jetty is well worth a visit to browse through all the small, cute boathouses that have been preserved.

Before dinner I also have time to take a ride past the old church in Berg. The present church was built in 1768 and then replaced a small chapel which survived Russian ravaging in July 1719. The view of the sea and the well-cared for graves make the churchyard one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I wander around for awhile and then cycle onwards for some food at the café and restaurant Sommarstället.

It may seem a long way to travel to Möja just to spend one day on the island, but I think it was a wonderful day. On the boat ride back and forth I spent some time with a good book, which I otherwise feel I don't have time for. Also, there is a restaurant onboard if you feel hungry for something during the boat trip.

By: Lisa, editor