FEATURE STORIES

Bjuröklubb – the coastal gem you won't want to miss

In Bjuröklubb, dramatic natural scenery and cultural history come together in a setting that is as magnificent as it is serene. Visitors can hike among smooth rock slabs, swim at beautiful sandy beaches, spend the night in the lighthouse, and enjoy a coffee break at the lighthouse keeper’s residence.

“Every season has its own charm,” says Noak Larsson, who lives in Bjuröklubb for much of the year.

Along the winding road toward Bjuröklubb, the landscape changes, from fields and dense coniferous forest to windswept, gnarled pines and spruces growing among rocky outcrops covered with wave-worn stones. Here and there, fields of shingle stretch out. Even today, the lighthouse stands at the very tip of the headland, a landmark offering an almost endless view of the sea.

“It’s an incredible place to be. It’s nature you come here for,” says Celina Ahlback, who, together with her wife Emelie, runs the café and hostel at the lighthouse.

They took over the business at the lighthouse ahead of the summer of 2024, when the previous tenant left after 25 years.
“It all happened quickly. We got the news early in the spring, and the summer ended up being a trial season. We just had to dive right in.”

This is a place that attracts boaters and birdwatchers alike, as well as tourists from afar and locals from Västerbotten who want to take a pleasant trip to the sea. And you can certainly tell that it’s one of Skellefteå Municipality’s most beloved tourist destinations.

“The summer of 2025 went incredibly well. We have the weather to thank for a lot, but also the people. We’ve had plenty of regulars who’ve returned several times,” says Celina.

Even as the number of tourists dwindles toward the end of summer, there’s still plenty of life here. The lighthouse itself is available for overnight stays from May through October.

“From the moment we open in May, we’re almost fully booked every weekend,” says Celina. You have to book well in advance.

She describes the evenings at the lighthouse as something truly special.
“I’ve stayed there myself several times with friends. We’ve sat around with a guitar and a glass of wine, gone swimming, and enjoyed the sauna. It’s so incredibly cozy! You have a 360-degree view of the sea—it creates its own magic.”

A couple of kilometers from the lighthouse, the sound of hammering can be heard among the trees. There, Noak Larsson, a carpenter and building conservator, is working on laying shingles on an old watermill in Bjurö, not far from Bjuröklubb.
“This is a simple water-powered mill from the famine years of the 1800s. Last week we planed the shingles, and now we’re putting on the roof,” he says.

Noak was born and raised in Bjuröklubb. His father still runs a pottery workshop on the headland.
“It doesn’t get much more ‘home’ than this. We’ve lived here for as long as anyone can remember. I bought my first house here when I was 17. It had been in the family but was sold in 1955. I managed to buy it back, and now we live there half the year,” he says.

Noak’s love for the place runs deep.
“I really love the sea. I collect old wooden boats and am often out on the water. There’s nothing better than standing here and looking out over the water.”

He’s happy to recommend that visitors take a walk through the fishing village and around the chapel.
“Many people just walk up to the lighthouse, but this is where the old community used to be. At the end of the 19th century, around 300 people lived here. There’s a lot of history left, like old houses, trails, and traces of seal hunters.”

The headland began to rise out of the sea about 4,000 years ago, and the nature reserve contains remains of both Bronze Age settlements and a medieval fishing village. In Svarthällviken, there are the remains of an old shipwreck, and you can also find rock carvings from the 17th century here.
“It’s one of those places that almost no one finds anymore,” says Noak.

Johanna Reinoja Cunningham works with the management of protected areas at the Nature Conservation Unit of the Västerbotten County Administrative Board. She believes that the possibilities for developing Bjuröklubb are endless.

“But it’s important to adapt the activities on-site so that the natural and cultural values are still preserved. Most visitors come to Bjuröklubb in the summer; we’d like to attract visitors to the area during other parts of the year as well,” she says.

For the past few years, the Västerbotten County Administrative Board has owned two cabins in the nature reserve—Spanarstugan and Grundskatastugan—which can be rented for a day at a low cost from early spring through late fall. There’s a sauna at the harbor that anyone can use. Beautiful beaches, such as the expansive Storsand, invite you to take a dip.

“It’s a place where you can really just take it easy. Socialize, enjoy the sauna, go for a swim, take a walk. You don’t go to Bjuröklubb to stress out. You go there to just be,” says Celina Ahlback.

Noak Larsson agrees.
“I never need to go anywhere else. I’m perfectly happy here,” he says

Text: Olov Antonsson

Photo: Patrick Degerman