What to do on Orust - 15 tips for a beautiful island on the west coast

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: September 2026 | Looking for things to do on Orust? This beautiful west coast island offers a lovely environment with cliffs, coves and skerries. Here are the best sights, tips and all the wonderful experiences we had.

Orust in Bohuslän

When we first visited Orust, in our camper van, we were absolutely delighted. The next time we brought our South African friends here, they fell just as in love with this west coast gem.

15 things to do on Orust

Orust is a fantastically beautiful place on the west coast. Here are 15 things we can recommend in Orust and the surrounding area.

1. holidaying in charming Mollösund

One thing you won't want to miss doing on Orust is visiting charming Mollösund. This community has a long history of herring fishing and was long one of Bohuslän's largest fishing villages.

Today, this is a picturesque tourist resort with winding alleyways, cute wooden villas, a lively little harbour and plenty of restaurants and cafés.

It is pleasant to stroll along the cobbled streets among the houses surrounded by beautiful hollyhocks. Here you will also find a homestead and a house where ”Sigurd Olssons Speceri- och Diversehandel” once stood.

The shop closed for good in 1966, but the furnishings and fittings have been kept intact, and the premises now serve as a museum shop.

Despite the charming houses, it is perhaps the harbour, the boats and all the restaurants and cafés that are most attractive. Among other things, we were told that there is a very good fish soup at the restaurant Brygghuset.

It is also popular to climb the rocks on Gallebergsudden, where you will also find the Mollösund lighthouse. It's nice here during the day, and it's also supposed to be nice to watch the sunset from this spot.

2. Meet the fisherman's wife at Klockareberget in Mollösund.

When you are in Mollösund, you can also take the opportunity to take the stairs up to Klockareberget. From here you have a nice view of the houses and the water, and you can also meet the "fisherman's wife" who stands here and looks out over the sea.

The statue is a reminder of the time when many people waited, sometimes agonisingly, to see their loved ones who had been out at sea fishing. If you saw them, you could sing the happy song, for which there are lyrics and sheet music, next to the fisherman's wife.

3. See the church and the "Think about death" sign in Mollösund.

Just below the viewpoint in Mollösund is Mollösund Church, which was inaugurated in 1866.

Across the road from the church is the cemetery, the entrance to which is adorned with the somewhat startling text ”Think about death”, which can be taken to mean that you should make the most of life while you can.

4. Relax in cosy Hälleviks beach

The cosy community of Hälleviksstrand is located on western Orust, between Mollösund and Ellös. Here, both the wooden villas and the boathouses are close together, and offer picturesque views.

5. Admire Hälleviksstrand church

Not far from Hälleviksstrand you will find Hälleviksstrand church, which is beautiful and worth a little stop on the way. The special design mixes pre-Nordic, neo-Romanesque and neo-Gothic idioms.

6. Take a boat trip to Gullholmen and Härmanö.

Gullholmen and Härmanö are two beautiful islands that can be reached by ferry from Tuvesvik on Orust. On Gullholmen, the charming houses are very close together, and there are also a few restaurants and cafés.

On Härmanö you will find one of Bohuslän's largest nature reserves. There are several hiking trails and excellent places for bird watching.

7. Discover the picturesque island of Käringön.

The same ferry that takes you to Gullholmen and Härmanö can also take you to the idyllic island of Käringön. On this island you can sunbathe and swim, stroll in picturesque alleys and hang out in cosy restaurants in the harbour. An excursion here is a really nice thing to do on Orust!

READ MORE: Käringön in Bohuslän - an idyllic island outside of Bohuslän

8. Hanging out in Ellös

Ellös is one of the towns on Orust, where you can experience proximity to the sea while there are shops and restaurants. Once a year, at the end of August, a sailboat fair is also organised here with Open Yard.

9. Walk Husebyleden in Ellös

Not far from Ellös on Orust you will find Husebyleden. This is a hiking trail that takes you through beautiful nature, where you also pass a number of historical sights. The trail, which is about 3.5 kilometres long, starts at a car park by road 178 (map here).

In the beginning, the terrain was quite "bushy", but here we quickly found an ancient castle with a view for miles. Later we walked through areas with lots of birds, and finally we entered an incredibly beautiful beech forest.

10. Take the ferry to Malö

Malö is an island located just northwest of the main island of Orust, which can be reached by a short car ferry crossing. On the island is Malö Camping, where you can camp with your own caravan or in a cabin. At the campsite you can also rent a kayak and experience the beautiful surroundings from the water.

11. Visit Taubes Flatön

The island of Malö is connected to the island of Flatön by a short bridge. Flatön is perhaps best known because Evert Taube once lived here. Taube was advised by his doctor to rest in a quiet place because of his asthma. He ended up on "Ängön", which was once a separate island, but is now part of Flatön.

He came off a roaring sea. Evert Taube visited Flatön 1942-1945.

From Flatön it is then possible to continue, by cable ferry, to Dragsmark, from where you can go on to Skaftö.

12. Take an art tour to see the MUMA murals.

MUMA Muralmålningar (Mural Modern Art) is an art project highlighting women in the rural areas of eastern Orust. The project started in 2017 and has resulted in a series of murals on barn walls around the island. Each painting tells the story of a woman who lived on the island in the past, and each painting is made by a female artist. Delicious!

READ MORE: MUMA Mural paintings - stories about women

13. Discover Henån

Henån is the central town on Orust, and here you will find a large marina and a range of shops.

On the harbour square in Henån you will find the seafood shop Henåns Fisk & Skaldjur. This is a nice little shop, and here we made several good finds.

14. Living the holiday life at the Slussen guesthouse

Slussen is a small but pleasant place in north-eastern Orust. Here you will find Slussen's guesthouse (top small picture on the left, among the pictures below), with a hotel, restaurant and a music scene that attracts big and famous artists.

15. See ancient remains at Brattås ancient remains area

People have lived on Orust ever since the Ice Age ended 10,000 years ago. Therefore, there are also a lot of ancient remains in the form of ancient graves. We checked out the Brattås archaeological site, where you can see a dolmen and a passageway from the Neolithic Age. Fascinating!

If you're into this kind of historical sights, there are a few more sites on Orust, including Hagadösen, Lunneslätt gånggrift and Torebo Altare.

More to do on Orust

For those who like culture and history

There is of course more to see and do on Orust, in addition to what we have described above. Here are some more tips for those who like culture and history:

• Orust tourist information centre is located in Kulturhuset Kajutan in Henån. Here you can get tips and information (Kulturhuset Kajutan, Henån).
• Sestervik art gallery & café is a permanent exhibition of glass and watercolours at the studio in Svanesund (Svanesund).
• Tegneby local history museum is a furnished farmhouse with a barn and parish storehouse. (Ellös)

For those who like food and shopping

Do you like food, drink and shopping? For you, there are also additional suggestions for things to do on Orust. Here are some tips:

• Orust recycling centre is a second-hand shop with recycled products (Brattorp 430, Svanesund).
• Tavlebord's honey farm has a café and farm shop with organic coffee and self-produced honey. (Tavlebord 127, Henån)ubrik
• Farm shop table is a market hall with products from local producers in an old farm shop environment (Tavlebord 110, Henån).
• Tollös sheep farm has a summer café and farm shop in a quiet environment (Tollös, Henån).

For those who love nature

Do you like nature best? Then you will find even more tips on things to see and do in Orust here, which may be suitable for you.

• Cycling you can do on country roads in Orust. For example, you can start in Henån, where you can find cycle maps at the tourist information centre.
• Fishing for sea trout can be done between 1 April and 30 September. There are many good fishing spots in the fjords around Orust.
• Kayak you can paddle in several places. For example, you can hire a kayak or paddleboard at Orust Kajak in Stocken.
• Cultivated harbour is a 4 km long cultural-historical hiking trail through natural environments on Orust.
• The Orust coastal path is a 44-kilometre long nature and culture trail from coast to coast, part of the Kuststigen trail that runs throughout Bohuslän.
• Orust Golf Club in Ellös is a seaside course with sea views on almost every hole. (Morlandavägen 135, Ellös)
• Pilgrimage trail OrustSt Olofsleden, is a walk between eight beautiful churches on Orust.
• Sven's altar is a 6 km nature and culture trail that takes you to Sven's altar, 106 metres above sea level.

For those who like events

Do you like events and happenings? For you there are also things to do in Orust. Keep an eye out for the following events.

• Taste of Orust is a project to promote locally produced food, and in 2022 a tasting day will be organised at Orust återbruk.
• Orust Sailboat Show is an open yard fair, always held the weekend after the Tjörn Runt sailing race at the end of August.
• Maritime Week the North Sea, including the topsail schooner Kvartsita travelling along the coast with beach cleaners and researchers.

Where can you stay in Orust, or park your campervan?

Best areas to live in and explore

• Mollösund - Perfect if you want to live in a classic coastal community.
• Hälleviksstrand - Quiet and charming with good swimming facilities.
• Ellös - Good base for exploring the island.
• West Orust - Perfect for nature, sea and views.

On Orust there are many different types of accommodation to choose from. If you want to stay in a hotel, you can, for example, choose to stay in charming Mollösund. Or why not stay a few nights on the island of Käringön? There are many places to choose from!

Pitches and campsites

We are travelling by motorhome and have stayed at, or checked out, the following places to stay. Keep in mind that campsites often also have cabins, where you can stay even if you don't have a motorhome, caravan or tent.

RV parks in Mollösund

In Mollösund there is a small car park in the harbour, with a few spaces. It's not so easy to get a space there during the high season, but luckily there is also a car park a little higher up, where you can park your motorhome. You pay by app (EasyPark) and there is no service, but it is close to the centre of Mollösund.

Camping in Stocken

Stockens camping is located in western Orust and is a large campsite where you can camp with a motorhome, caravan or tent, or stay in a cabin. We tried to get a place here one of the days, but it was full.

Camping on Malö

On Malö there is a campsite that is beautifully situated and where you can rent a kayak. We only passed here on our way to Flatön.

RV park in Henån

In Henån there is a large caravan park right by the harbour, with room for lots of motorhomes. Here is all the service you need including electricity, and here we stood most of all the days we spent on Orust. A really good place we thought!

RV park at Slussen

Finally, we should also mention that we saw a small car park at Slussen, but we did not stay there ourselves. As far as we could see, the services you need are there.

Things to do in Orust - on film

Here you will also find a film from Orust that Peter edited.

More city guides nearby

Are you planning to travel around the West Coast? Here you will find several guides.

• Things to do in Tjörn
• Things to do in Tylösand
• Things to do in Varberg
• Things to do in Halmstad
• Things to do in Uddevalla
• Things to do in Falkenberg