New Kayak Guide for the Bay of Bothnia Archipelago

Destination company Visit Luleå together with the regional tourism board Swedish Lapland Visitors Board is releasing a kayak guide with suggestions for seven different kayak routes starting from Luleå and Råneå.

The hope is that this guide will inspire more people to discover the Bay of Bothnia archipelago outside Luleå as an excellent destination for paddling enthusiasts.

The seven suggested routes have varying difficulty levels, and the different islands and bays are described. The guide also includes references to other archipelago-related information such as guides, equipment rentals, and cabins.

The Bay of Bothnia archipelago is the world’s northernmost brackish water archipelago. With bright summer nights during most of the paddling season and over 4,000 islands from Skellefteå in the south to Haparanda in the north (of which 1,300 are within Luleå Municipality), this is an excellent starting point for sea kayaking.

Cultural-historical remains such as labyrinths, fish drying racks, boat landings, and foundation ruins bear witness to hunting and fishing in the archipelago since the 1300s. Today’s fishing villages were originally the coastal residents’ places for summer fishing. Today they’re populated by leisure visitors.

– Paddling is a thematic product development area for the Luleå destination that can attract an international target audience of outdoor and adventure-seeking travelers. We simply have incredible conditions for paddling here in Luleå, says Camilla Bondareva, CEO of Visit Luleå.

Those interested in plants and geology will find much to discover on the islands of the Bay of Bothnia archipelago. Here you’ll find completely unique rock types and flora found nowhere else. In late summer, paddlers can supplement their packed lunch with freshly caught grayling or berries and mushrooms from the forest’s larder.

– Paddling is also considered sustainable ecotourism that can attract the nature-interested and environmentally conscious traveler. Creating this kayak guide is Visit Luleå’s first step in working with theme-based “touring routes” for the Luleå destination – we’re now moving forward with similar guides on the themes of hiking and cycling, continues Camilla Bondareva.

– The new kayak guide is inspiring and informative for Luleå residents as well as visitors to the city, with both city-center and longer tours out into our beautiful archipelago, says Helén Wiklund Wårell, head of the Leisure Administration at Luleå Municipality, responsible for archipelago development regarding infrastructure.

The kayak guide is produced in both Swedish and English and can be downloaded in PDF format from the web (see link below) and is available to pick up or order in printed form at the Luleå Tourist Center in Kulturens Hus in Luleå. The routes with accompanying maps, text, and images are created by Gunvor Ekström, Mediagrafik & illustration, who is herself an active paddler and certified leader with Friluftsfrämjandet.

For more info:
www.lulea.nu/kajakguide