Skåne: Where adventure calls

Southern Sweden's Kullaberg Nature Reserve offers visitors plenty of high-octane adventure — if you're brave enough. Veerle Witte shares her experience

By Tourism In Skane
Published 8 Apr 2019, 23:40 BST
Kullaberg island, Skane
Kullaberg island, Skane
Photograph by Johan Hammar

My adventure began on the westernmost tip of the Kullen peninsula, in the province of Skåne where the rocky coast lies protected within the boundaries of the Kullaberg Nature Reserve. Here, there's plenty of space for hiking, scuba diving, rock climbing, kayaking and abseiling — Kullaberg is an adventurer's paradise.

From the steep cliffs, I enjoyed the views across the sea, with the Danish coast in the far distance. About four or five miles in width, Kullaberg is a promontory with jagged cliffs towering above the sea. My guide, David Arborelius, led me along the U-shaped coastline, across beaches and piles of huge boulders. Within the reserve, there are about 24 caves that can be reached by foot, the biggest of which is about 80ft deep. "It's a popular place to go and sleep," David said. "It's dry, the wine stays cool, and you'll wake up to the most beautiful sunrise."

We hiked up and down rock formations, and along footpaths decoratively lined with yellow and purple flowers. Part of the well-known Skåneleden Trail runs along the peninsula's coastline, together with hiking trails that offer visitors differing levels of difficulty across the terrain.

The rocks at Kullaberg are popular with abseilers, and it was my turn to have a go. I put my harness and helmet on, gripped the ropes tightly and took a leap of faith. Hanging from a sheer cliff face, I slowly rappelled down — it was a wonderful feeling.

Next on the agenda was Kullen Lighthouse, a short hike away. It perches 258ft above the sea and is the highest-placed beacon in Sweden. It's also the most powerful lighthouse in the country. You can even spend a night in the tower — David showed me the hidden bedroom, with curved glass panes from floor to ceiling, offering panoramic and uninterrupted sea views from the bed.

I was getting ready to say goodbye to this incredible landscape when David told me we couldn't leave Kullaberg without having a last dash along its coastline in a fast Zodiac — not just to enjoy the spectacular coast from the sea, but also to spot porpoises. This small mammal looks like a dolphin and is a regular visitor to the waters off the coast of the nature reserve. Luck was with us that day — we spotted a whole group of hunting porpoises. My Kullaberg adventure was now complete.

For more information about beaches and other nature activities in Skåne, check out visitskane.com

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