For many years, the Swedish navy's activities on Hasslö meant that foreigners' access to the island was restricted, but that is no longer true. Hasslö is famous for its fish, and fishing has historically been the main livelihood. A famous fishing site on Hasslö is the Rallbryggan.
Hasslö is a flat island and most of the people live near the coast. The island is connected to the mainland via the Hasslö Bridge.
Hasslö is the birthplace of the socialist Fabian Månsson (1872–1938), and today there is a statue erected of him on the island.