Gotska Sandön was made a national park in 1909 and expanded in 1963 and 1968.

You reach Gotska Sandön national park by boat from the nearest island Fårö, or from the Swedish mainland. What awaits are long stretches of deserted sandy beach, pine forest, a surprisingly rich variety of flora and some very rare, fascinating beetles. It has been populated for many centuries and therefore the buildings, particularly the churches, farmhouses and lighthouse, have a character all of their own.

This remote island has a mystical quality to it. Perhaps it is the barren, sandy landscape. Perhaps it is the unlikely pine forest that stands behind the shoreline, kept away only by the shifting sand dunes. ‘Mystical’ is one word that describes this strangely positioned place, another is “unique”. And these are very good reasons for visiting.