Mapping Canoe Routes in Sörmland, Sweden
9-minute read
Michael O’Dwyer is a passionate canoeist and sea kayaker who is currently immersed in creating a guidebook featuring paddling routes in the region of Sweden where he lives. His goal is to share beautiful, lesser-known canoe and kayak routes for others to discover and enjoy.
Overhead view of a beautiful canoe campsite in Rocklännaån, Sweden
If you think “O’Dwyer” doesn’t sound particularly Swedish, you’re right—Michael was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. He moved to Sweden in 2009 and has called it home ever since.
“I really embrace the Swedish way of life,” Michael said. “Like so many others in Sweden, I spend much of my life outdoors—in the forests and around the lakes—exploring. That’s what I love to do.”
He and his family live about 50 miles outside Stockholm, in Södermanland County—commonly referred to as Sörmland by locals. “Where we live, we probably have the most wildlife in Scandinavia, maybe even in Europe,” he said. “We’re surrounded by forests, hiking trails, a stunning coastline perfect for sea kayaking, and an incredible network of lakes.”
We recently had the opportunity to chat with Michael to learn more about his life as a paddler in Sweden and the guidebook he’s currently developing.
Here’s our interview with Michael O’Dwyer:
BENDING BRANCHES: What made you decide on this paddling and mapping book project?
MICHAEL: For some reason, no one has ever published a guidebook for paddling in Sörmland—neither for sea kayaking nor canoeing. My rough estimate is that within a two-hour drive of here, you’ll find around 40% of Sweden’s population. And within just an hour, you can reach several fairly large cities by Swedish standards, including Stockholm—the largest city in Scandinavia. Altogether, that’s probably about four million people.
Michael’s wife and daughters on the Marvikarna to Nykvarn route
In the past, Swedish authorities actually paid people to go out and map hiking trails, canoe routes, and similar paths. They produced excellent documents detailing canoe sections and portages, which were available for many years.
Then, over time, as different administrations took over, they decided to hand over all that information to local rental companies to use with their customers. At first, many of those companies posted the maps and routes on their websites, so the trails were still accessible. But eventually, those resources disappeared as well.
On some of the routes, you can still find signs marking portages and other features, but I haven’t been able to locate any comprehensive documentation. The information is essentially gone. So, I decided to write a book to map these canoe routes—to preserve them in print, where they’ll remain available permanently.
Another motivation for the project is more personal. I spent years bikepacking and cycling in different parts of the world, but that’s not exactly kid-friendly. I have a lot of children—well, I’m Irish! Now that they’re getting older and love the outdoors, I said to my wife, “Why don’t we write a book? And we can all go together.”
BRANCHES: How are you including your family?
MICHAEL: One of my main canoeing partners is my son, Vidar, an adventurous eleven-year-old. While my other four children help out as well, it’s Vidar—who has been diagnosed with ADHD—who truly loves being out in nature. When he’s outdoors, he’s at his best. It’s therapeutic for him, it strengthens our bond, and he’s learning so much along the way.
Michael’s son, Vidar, on their trip from Marvikarna to Nykvarn
On a recent trip we just made, the tour was about an hour’s drive away from where we live. We headed out late one evening, bringing Vidar’s young cousin so it became a boys’ adventure. We had an overnight stay, saw incredible wildlife, cooked over an open fire—it was awesome.
As for the book, even if I only sell five copies (two of which will be bought by my granny and my mother!), it doesn’t really matter. The value lies in the journey, not the outcome. The success will be in the experience itself.
BRANCHES: Tell us about the canoe culture in Sörmland.
MICHAEL: Sea kayaking is very popular in Sweden, but canoeing hasn’t quite caught on as much. That’s a shame, because we have the natural resources and landscape to make it an excellent sport here. It’s not quite Canada, but it’s definitely good.
In Sörmland, there are countless lakes, some of which are perfect for paddling and are surrounded by nature. Most of these lakes are standalone, but they feature interesting coastlines with plenty of bends and twists to explore.
A river section on the Rocklännaån route
In the book, I’ll include some longer tours—maybe 120 to 140 kilometers. These routes follow natural lakes connected by rivers that have been modified over time, almost like canals, passing through numerous towns along the way.
Although there are three official canoe routes in Sörmland and many different waterways to explore, I estimate that about 90% of all paddling adventures here happen on just one particular route. It’s beautiful, but for Sweden, it’s quite crowded—meaning you might see five other canoes out on the water at the same time.
The reason this particular trail is so popular is convenience. There’s a company that rents out canoes and offers a full service: they pick you up from the train station, provide the boats, and then three days later, they collect the boats at the end of the route. From there, you can take the train back to Stockholm. It’s the perfect setup.
Most people don’t know about the other canoe routes, which are just as beautiful and far less crowded. That’s exactly what we want to showcase in the book.
In Sörmland, we have a famous hiking trail called Sörmlandsleden, which stretches over a thousand kilometers. Along this trail, you’ll find wind shelters every few kilometers—many with fire pits and outdoor toilets. When a canoe trail crosses one of these shelters, it makes for an obvious and convenient campsite.
A well-marked campsite, Marvikarna to Nykvarn
BRANCHES: What’s your paddling background?
MICHAEL: I've always loved the outdoors. I joined the Boy Scouts when I was 10 and spent much of my youth rock climbing around the world. As time went on, I moved to Sweden, started my business, raised a family, and spent years working too hard. I ended up a few pounds heavier and spending less time outside. I knew I needed to reconnect with my outdoor roots.
Around that time, Instagram was growing, and I started following a Norwegian paddler who frequently paddled around Lofoten—far up in Norway. I thought, “I want to do that.” So, I took a course with him the following summer.
When I got home, I bought my own boat and started exploring the waterways around Stockholm with some sea kayak tours. Over the years, I’ve alternated between bikepacking, gravel riding, hiking, and Nordic skating (which is ice skating on natural ice). But now I’m back into paddling—partly for family reasons, partly for exploration, and partly for the joy of photography and being outdoors.
I’ve introduced some of my cycling friends to paddling, and we’ve formed a group that paddles together regularly. I’m also trying to become more involved in the local canoeing and kayaking community here, sharing stories, photos, and inspiring others to get outside.
Michael’s two young daughters at their campsite, Marvikarna to Nykvarn
BRANCHES: Let’s talk about Allemansrätten. It’s good, right?
MICHAEL: “Allemansrätten,” or the “right to roam,” is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that you can go almost anywhere you want. The curse is that many Swedes think, “The outdoors is free—why would I need to pay for a guide?”
If you compare this to a place like England, access is much more restricted, but they have fantastic networks of outdoor sports organizations. These groups make great use of the land they have access to, building and marking various trails.
Allemansrätten opens up the countryside to everyone, but there are rules. One important one for guidebook writing is that you can’t lead groups across private land without the owner’s permission. (Footpaths and roads are exempt.) So, care must be taken when designing routes.
For canoeing and kayaking, the water itself is always open under Allemansrätten. However, starting and ending points must be public car parks as cars are not covered by Allemansrätten and often you need a car to get your boat to the water.
So the starting points will be mostly from official swimming spots, nature reserves, and national parks to keep the guidebook “clean.” Every route in the book will follow the rules strictly. I hope retailers like Naturkompaniet and others will see the book’s value and want to promote it.
Vidar and his cousin paddle on their overnight trip, Storsjön
I’m narrowing the book down to about 30 routes. Some can be done in half a day, while others are suitable for camping along the way—because you can camp almost anywhere in Sweden under Allemansrätten. We’ll also have dedicated overnight trips, two-day tours, and longer routes lasting four to seven days.
BRANCHES: What are you including in the book?
MICHAEL: When you write about canoeing itself, there’s only so much you can say about strokes, or what’s around the next bend in the forest. But Sweden has a rich Industrial Age history. It once grew wealthy from mining iron ore for cannons, weapons, and more.
Södermanland County, Sweden, where Michael is focusing his attention (map courtesy of iMaps)
So, there are plenty of old foundries, dams, ancient villages, and ironworks scattered around. Sweden is famous for making knives, axes, and swords. These features will be great add-ons to the route descriptions, making the tours more engaging by highlighting these historical sites.
We’ll describe the forests, but also the historical buildings, mines and smelting locations. That’s what makes Sörmland special—a blend of history and culture set in a stunning natural landscape. The book will also promote canoe rental companies, shops, and small, remote cafés.
I’m not doing this for financial gain, but for family reasons, exploration, community, sharing nature, and educating people.
Michael canoes the Rocklännaån route
I’m actually dyslexic, but recently I’ve found a love for writing. I don’t think I’m especially good at it, but I’m determined to keep improving.
So, this project lets me document useful information to share, get out into nature (which I love), satisfy my wandering soul, and spend quality time with my family. We get to explore together, work on projects together, and at the end, I’ll do my best to publish a great book.
A big thanks to Michael for his time with us! We wish him all the best on his book project.
All photos courtesy of Michael O’Dwyer. Follow him on Instagram for more.
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