ARØYENE AND STOKKØYA
- VESTFOLD’S SOUTHERNMOST ARCHIPELAGO
THE ISLANDS STORE ARØYA, LILLE ARØYA, VESLE ARØYA, AND STOKKØYA ARE VESTFOLD’S SOUTHERNMOST ISLANDS, LOCATED RIGHT ON THE BORDER WITH TELEMARK. THE PHOTO WAS TAKEN FROM BIG ARØYA. LITTLE ARØYA IS TO THE LEFT AND SWEET ARØYA TO THE RIGHT IN THE PHOTO. THE ISLANDS ARE PERFECT FOR ISLAND HOPPING. THE FERRY SKJÆLØY(TO THE RIGHT) TAKES YOU RIGHT OUT INTO THE ARCHIPELAGO – EITHER FRMOM HELGAROA OR LANGESUND.
Archipelago on the border of the Telemark coast
Vacation Idyll
Near Vestfold’s border with Telemark furthest out in the Langesundsfjord, are Stokkøya, Store Arøy, Lille Arøy, and Vesle Arøy. The Arøy islands are together with Stokkøya, the only one of the islands in Langesundsfjord that stands in Vestfold county and Larvik municipality. The four islands are located no more than a few minutes swimming distance between each other. Lille Arøy is the northernmost island with Vesle Arøy to the west, Stokkøya is located east of Store Arøy, which is the southernmost of the islands and is there as a last stand against Skagerrak. The islands are located in a wonderful archipelago in the outer part of the area between Helgeroa and Langesund. Most of the buildings on the islands are summer cottages. There are few permanent residents on the islands, mostly fishermen and some artists. The islands are connected by ferry with Helgeroa and Langesund throughout the year. During the summer, there are a considerable amount of summer visitors using the ferry connections. There is a summer kiosk in the bay at the top of Lille Arøy. This is the only retailer on the three islands.
THERE ARE MANY REALLY GOOD SWIMMING UTOPIAS OUT HERE. HERE FROM SANDSTRAND SOUTH ON STOKKØYA.
If you’re choosing to take a trip to one of the islands in the summer, you are guaranteed an idyllic trip whether you arrive by boat or ferry from Helgeroa. The islands are located so far out in Vestfold that vacationing anywhere in Vestfold, a trip out here could be described as a day-long trip. It’s also this that makes it so exciting to visit these relatively unknown islands. Although there are many cabins on the islands, there are still much more space without buildings. There are large areas of forest, small sandy beaches, and lots of rocks. Here the clean seawater flows in and the fish bite often.
CABIN IDYLL FROM STORE ARØYA’S SOUTH SIDE
NOT FAR FROM HELGEROA (BEHIND IN THE PHOTO), YOU’LL FIND A FANTASTIC ARCHIPELAGO WITH STORE ARØYA, LILLE ARØYA, VESLE ARØYA, AND STOKKØYA ISLANDS.
On Store Arøya, there is a small campground with tent sites and cabins. The four islands are very suitable for outdoor tours, offering varied scenery and great experiences. On the largest island, Store Arøya, it may in some places have very dense vegetation so that you can hardly see the path, and all the lush vegetation and damp clay soil almost reminds you a little of swamp-like jungle. On Store Arøya, you can actually walk for an hour without seeing the sea, although the sea is seldom farther than 100 meters as the crow flies. On Lille Arøya, there are some great viewpoints where you have a great 360 degree views of Langesund, Porsgrunnlandet, Mørjefjorden, Helgeroa, and Skagerrak. Lille Arøya has an exciting landscape of numerous islets and rocks facing Skagerrak. You can literally "island hop" over the rocks and find your favorite rocks for sunny days. Especially in the southwest part of Stokkøya, there is the large area of open grassland and child-friendly sandy beaches. Yes, Stokkøya is probably the most kid-friendly if you decide to go out on a walk. IF you should just settle on a beach spot with the whole family one day, it really does not matter which of the islands you choose. You’re bound to find great archipelago experiences in any case.
WARM SUMMER’S EVENING IN STOKKØYSUNDET
The narrow, picturesque strait between Lille Arøya and Vesle Arøya is called Bukkespranget. It is said that the name comes from an observation of a buck that actually managed to jump across the narrow strait of the steep rock walls. Miles of film have been used over the years at this place.
SKAGERRAK’S HORIZON SEEN FROM LILLE ARØYA