Sweden may not be at the top of the list of top destinations for windsurfers, but it has plenty of great spots to offer. It's rarely crowded, but at least at the more popular spots you'll usually meet friendly Swedes who are happy to welcome guests. On Öland, an elongated island off the east coast, the spot Haga Park offers ideal conditions for beginners, intermediates and the whole family!
The "Surfers" shop from the cult spot Varberg has a small branch here that offers courses, hire equipment and the most necessary spare parts. The local surf club, which organises training sessions and regattas, is located right next door.
Haga Park itself is a larger, but still cosy holiday area with various cabins, houses and a nice campsite. Depending on where exactly you are staying, you can easily carry your equipment from your accommodation to the water's edge or you may need a surf trolley. There are plenty of car parks for day visitors right by the spot. A row of trees and bushes shields the campsite from westerly winds.
Journey
The best way to reach Sweden from Germany is by ferry from Travemünde or Rostock. Most ferry lines head for Trelleborg on the south coast, from where it is around a four-hour journey to Öland.
Alternatively, you can also travel via Denmark (ferry Puttgarden-Rödby or Rostock - Gedser, or overland via Kolding, Fyn and the Störebaelt Bridge) and then cross the Öresund Bridge to Malmö.
After driving over the impressive Öland Bridge, one of the longest bridges in Europe, you have reached Öland and turn right into the small tourist town of Färjestaden. After a few kilometres of country road, Haga Park is clearly signposted on the right.
Wind & Weather
The spot works in all wind directions from south to north, westerly winds are best. The Kalmar Sound between Öland and the mainland accelerates south and south-westerly winds in particular, so that you can often set up a sail size smaller than the forecast promises.
As everywhere in Northern Europe, summer offers the most pleasant temperatures, and spring and autumn the best wind prospects. The average temperature is highest in July and August at just over 20 degrees, so a 4/3 neo is a good choice. Autumn storms can also be easily handled with a 5/3 or 5/4.
Spots
Directly behind the narrow beach at the spot is a fluffy green meadow for rigging and resting, including a children's playground. The shallow area extends several hundred metres into the Kalmar Sound and offers plenty of safety for beginners and intermediates. About 1.5 kilometres out there are two small stone islands, up to which there are several sandbanks aligned north-northwest-south-southeast, which also slow down the choppy waves somewhat in stronger winds.
There is a designated kite spot to the south of the windsurfing spot, meaning that the two disciplines rarely get in each other's way. To the north, there is a nature reserve that should not be entered or travelled through under any circumstances. A clearly visible chain of buoys indicates where to stop.
In strong, long-lasting southerly winds, the water may be pushed out of the sound and the water level may drop. Sandbanks can then lurk just below the surface. Many locals have sawn off older fins for such days or use conspicuously small seaweed fins.
Jibes and tacks can be practised in a relaxed manner in the shallow area. Advanced sailors can also venture a little further out, with a perfectly usable Baltic Sea swell rolling on the outer sandbanks. Kalmar and its historic castle and the striking Ölands Bridge are always in view.
And in a calm?
Öland is a very popular holiday island for Swedes with lots to offer. It is no coincidence that the Swedish royal family has spent their summers here for many years. You can visit their residence Solliden as well as the ruins of Borgholm Castle right next door. Like Färjestaden, the town of the same name is rather tranquil apart from tourism, but for those who like it a little more urban, Kalmar is just 20 minutes away.
The northern and southern tips of the island with their striking lighthouses are well worth a visit. On the way there, you will notice the countless old windmills with which the inhabitants have utilised the omnipresent wind for their purposes for centuries. In the barren south, stones were once picked from the fields and stacked into kilometre-long walls to divide the fields and protect the soil from erosion.
