Solo Cycling Around Gotland : Day 1 "From sunrise to Blue lagoon." Visby - Hallshuk

August 04, 2025

Solo Cycling Around Gotland : Day 1 "From sunrise to Blue lagoon." Visby - Hallshuk - Bästeträsk

Finally it happened - decided to fullfill my idea I had in spring, but was not sure. I didn’t cycle Gotland to prove anything. I just needed to feel the wind on my skin again - to slow down, to listen, and to let the road carry me somewhere I hadn’t yet imagined. For five days, I pedaled through quiet pine forests, along empty coastal roads, and past sleepy harbors where time moved gently. I wore cotton bike shorts, a linen shirt, and my trusty Vans — no lycra, no high-tech gear, just a stubborn heart and a wish to move with the rhythm of the island. This series is not a guide in the traditional sense. It’s more of a soft-spoken travel journal — part outer journey, part inner unfolding.

5 days Solo Tour biking - 500km
Gotlandsleden 90%, 10% my own route (maybe less)
Direction: From Visby taking North route and cycling down to South route.
2 nights ferry
3 nights camping
1 night Vandrahem Hemse

Day 1: 96km
Day 2: 107km
Day 3: 87km
Day 4: 94km
Day 5: 93km + 20km

Level: Easy. Pros probably would like to go gravel, but Gotlandsleden is scenic and well planned, not so much gravel.

Day One – Visby Before Sunrise

It all began before the sun rose. I arrived by boat around 3 a.m., thinking I might pitch my tent in a nearby park and sleep a little before starting the trip. But on the ferry, I told myself : I would decide once I arrived - depending on how I felt. I’d slept maybe two hours before the announcement came: "We are arriving in Gotland in 10 minutes." And as I rolled off the ferry into the warm, slightly humid summer air, I felt it — that adrenaline rush, the freedom, the quiet thrill. There was no way I was going to sleep. The air reminded me of my early twenties — of being awake all night at festivals, couchsurfing across Europe, following joy with no plan. That version of me stirred awake again. I was ready to start the route!

Visby strandpromenad

The only catch? I had no fuel for my Trangia. In my last-minute packing flurry, I’d forgotten to buy gas or burner liquid, I decided to get it here. A quick search showed that all outdoor stores were in Visby, and nothing opened before 7 a.m. It was my first reminder that Gotland isn’t mainland Sweden — shops are fewer, water access is limited (as they announcenet drinking water shortage), and things can run out. A little nervous, I cycled to the only place open: Circle K. They didn’t have gas, but thankfully I had brought my Trangia’s spirit burner just in case. And also... honestly, that 3 a.m. hot dog and gas station coffee might’ve been the best thing I’d ever eaten (at that moment).

With caffeine in my blood and nothing holding me back, I began cycling along the Visby beach promenade while the island was still dreaming — saw also a few party-goers jumping into the sea. I headed south, toward the sunrise. That first ride set the tone: quiet, brave, and slightly surreal. I had tears from joy and this beauty around me. As the light shifted, so did I. With each turn of the pedals, I let go of fear. I thought I will feel afraid for longer, but as soon as I stepped out the ferry, I felt switch in me. What I found in return was presence: small wildflowers, soft light, tired legs, and kind strangers. This is the story of what I noticed, what I carried, and what I left behind.

HERE WE GO!

Visby Snäckstrand

I left Visby just after 3 a.m., cycling through the sleeping city as the warm summer air wrapped around me like a long-lost friend. The light was slow and gradual — not rushed like it often feels near Stockholm. With each turn of the pedals, the sky softened, and the glow stretched gently across the landscape. I felt like I was riding through a tunnel into something luminous, into a dreamworld where everything was gentle and full of meaning. For a moment, I understood why people call Gotland the pearl of Sweden. The light here is like home — like Latvia. A photographer’s paradise.

Brissunds Badplats

During those early hours, it was just me, rabbits darting through the grass, and a few distant deer. When I reached a small beach, bathed in this almost ethereal morning glow, I took my first skinny dip of the trip. Alone in the water, heart pounding with joy, I felt full — of love for the world, for nature, for the quiet courage that had brought me here.

Back to Gotlandleden

Following Gotlandsleden, I passed fields, farmlands, and eventually the loop toward Hallshuk. That loop wasn’t my favorite ride wise - not because of the trail itself, but because I was beginning to crash. I'd been riding since 3:30 a.m. with barely any sleep. Around 9 a.m., I stopped on a gravel road just after Hallshuk and realized I’d already done nearly half of my planned distance. I thought about napping, but instead I just rested, snacked, and let the stillness settle in before continuing as I thought it is better to keep moving and have a longer chill at the destination.

At one point before Hullshuk, I missed a Gotlandsleden turn and rode about 2 km extra. My intuition had already nudged me: “Maybe check the map?” — a gentle reminder I’ve learned to listen to. The detour didn’t bother me. There was a bit of chaos at the turn: cars, kids, distractions — and I simply assumed the route continued the way it felt natural. It’s funny how the body often knows before the mind catches up. That quiet inner voice would guide me again on other days.

Hallshuk

Water became my next focus. I had enough, but I worried — remembering past experiences with sunstroke while cycling alone. My dinner depended on having water to cook, so I decided to make a detour to Lärbro, the nearest village with a shop. Another thing I had to learn along the way - not that many shops, its a lot more rural than I am used to mainland. I cycled there easily and just in time grabbed the last bottle of water. I filled up my bottles and gave the empty bottle to two little girls collecting recyclables. They smiled, happy for the 2 kronor refund. That small exchange grounded me again.

By the time I arrived at the Blue Lagoon, I was both relaxed and exhausted. It was busier than I expected, but somehow I didn’t feel overwhelmed like I once would have. I used to get anxious around people — not today. I asked a few local teens about camping there, and they told me it was completely fine. I scouted the area, briefly considered finding something more remote, but my batteries (both physical and literal) were running low. The coast was too rocky, the nearby lake crowded with caravans — so I returned to the Lagoon and found a peaceful corner.

@moments.elina Solo tour cycling adventure around Gotland, Sweden 5 days - 495km 2 nights ferry 3 nights wild camping 1 night vandrahem #cyklaigotland #cyclingwomen #bikepackingsolo #friluftsliv #soloadventurer #staycation #visbygotland #gotland #cyclinginsweden #outdoorcontentcreator #outdoorcontent #campingcontent #wildcamping #traveltiktok #scandinavia #sweden #destionationgotland ♬ sonido original - i24.millaaa

Campsite 1: Blu Lagoon, Gotland

I swam, ate dinner, organized my panniers, and crawled into my tent by 19:00. I slept so deeply and so content. People were around, but I felt safe. My body was buzzing, but my mind was still. I think if I hadn’t been so stubborn, I would’ve stopped near Hallshuk — but I wasn’t ready to finish that early. Still, I see now that it could’ve made a beautiful Day 1 end, leaving Blue Lagoon as a refreshing stop on Day 2. Maybe next time. For now, I was proud — 12 hours on the move, fueled by curiosity and coffee, and wrapped in the soft light of Gotland’s north.

You can find more behind-the-scenes moments from this trip on my Instagram [@elinanomad] — come say hi! I will share on my IG/TIKTOK when I make a full video of this trip too.