For years I'd flown over Stockholm’s famed archipelago, or glided by it on a big cruise ship heading for Helsinki. When I finally dived into the 80 miles of scenic islands that stretch out from downtown Stockholm, I wondered why I’d waited so long.
It’s hard to put a number on just how extensive the archipelago is. Locals brag that it has 34,000 islands—but they must be counting mossy little rocks, so I don’t use that figure. I can tell you that about a hundred of them are served by ferries, providing Stockholmers with the ideal island escape.
