Yxlan is about 15 kilometers long and measures two kilometers at its widest point. Hikes lead through dense coniferous forests. In the west of Yxlan there are quite steeply sloping beaches. The maritime nature and life on the island had also been impressively described by the famous Swedish poet August Strindberg.
In the picturesque island villages Vagnsunda, Yxlö, Alsvassen, Kolsvik and Alsvik live about 300 inhabitants, during the summer time Yxlan is visited by vacation guests. Very popular is a beautiful bathing place in the northeast, which is wide open to the open sea. At the northeastern end of the island there is an old stone labyrinth. Furusund is the name of the island harbor with 60 boat moorings and the necessary utilities.
The island's past is marked by the life of former resident fishermen and seal hunters and by warlike conflicts with the Russian tsars' fleet. From the end of the 19th century the first vacationers arrived and the bathing business on Yxlan began. The island is excellent for seaside vacations, hiking and cycling tours, as well as numerous excursions to the archipelago and Stockholm.
