Fårö


 * Do not confuse with the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic.

Fårö is an island just north of Gotland. It is one of Sweden's more secluded holiday resorts; being an island off an island, 20 km across, with 500 permanent citizens (2021).

Understand
Ö is Swedish for "island", and while får is the mainland Swedish word for "sheep" (of which the island has plenty), the word is not used in the local dialect, and not behind the island's name. The name probably stems from the Norse word far ("sea lane").

Fårö has world fame through Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman, who had many of his films recorded on the islands, including two documentaries. He now rests in the island church's cemetery. Another famous summer guest was Prime Minister Olof Palme.

Get in
The free-to-use car ferry from is the main entrance to Fårö. The trip takes 7 minutes, and ferries depart every half hour 24 hours daily. However, the night time departures, from 22:00 to 05:00, must be pre-booked. You can pre-book the ferry by calling at least 10 minutes before departure. Additional ferry departures are added during the main tourist season in June, July and August.

There are buses from Visby to Fårösund.

By yacht
The relevant charts are nr 73 or 62/INT1204 (coast: "Gotland North–Landsort") and 731 (archipelago: "Gotland, North"; with Fårösund in large scale). No small craft chart series are available for Gotland.

There are moorings in two marinas in Fårösund (by the ferry) and at a fishing harbour at western Fårö. Fårösund has sights and services, including bus, fuel and bike rental. The Lauterhorn fishing harbour is by the Digerhuvud nature reserve, with many rauks.

Get around
Driving or cycling.

See
The sceneries. Fårö has many rauks; free-standing rocks on the shoreline.



Do
Water sport.

Drink
Nightlife is very seasonal.

Sleep
There are several holiday cabins for rent.



Stay safe
Crime is not an issue. The rocky beaches can be slippery. There are no emergency vehicles on the island; they need to get the boat.

Go next

 * Northern Gotland
 * Gotska Sandön, arguably the most isolated island of its size in the Baltic Sea. Ferry from Fårösund W F Su late May to early September.
 * If you have a yacht, you can sail to the Archipelago Sea in Finland, for lots of islands and tiny archipelago communities to discover.
 * Another yacht destination is Estonia, with Hiiumaa a day's worth of sailing away (or so it was for the ships of yore, giving it the Swedish name Dagö).