A boat trip around Sweden’s Bohuslän islands
Thousands of islands make up the remote and ‘stunningly beautiful’ Bohuslän archipelago

For the 100 miles or so from Gothenburg to the Norwegian border, Sweden’s west coast splinters into more than 8,000 islands and “skerries” of grey and pink granite. This is the Bohuslän archipelago, says Stanley Stewart in the Financial Times – remote, barren and “stunningly beautiful”.
Distant lighthouses and “wind-blown” trees stalk its huge horizons, and scattered among the islands are little communities made up of simple, brightly painted wooden cottages, many owned by the same families for generations. Most visitors travel around by car, but for a more relaxing time, you might charter a boat such as the Granit. Launched this year, this “sturdy, gun-metal grey” vessel runs on fossil-free fuels and carries six people in comfort.
In the 16th century, the island of Marstrand grew rich on herring and became known as the most “depraved” place in Scandinavia. Then the fish left these seas, and Marstrand “went straight”, reinventing itself as a seaside resort in the 19th century. The king came every summer, and the hotel where he stayed – the Kurhotellet – is still open, a “time capsule of Scandi chic” with tall windows overlooking the sea.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There are lovely places to stay on other islands, too, such as Lådfabriken, an “upmarket” guesthouse in a former factory on Orust, and Salt & Sill, built on floating pontoons off Klädesholmen. And there are excellent places to eat, including the Åstols Smokery on Åstol (one of the prettiest islands), and the Karingo Oyster Bar, which occupies a renovated boat house on Käringön.
You might explore the big island of Tjörn by bike, visiting the Nordic Watercolour Museum, and the Pilane sculpture park, set beside an Iron Age burial site marked by standing stones. And it would be remiss not to try at least one of the islands’ seaside saunas, which is de rigueur after a dip in the chilly waves.
Original Travel (originaltravel.co.uk) has a five-night trip from £3,320pp, including flights.
Sign up for The Week’s Travel newsletter for destination inspiration and the latest news and trends.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - May 4, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - deportation, Canadian politeness, and more
-
5 low approval cartoons about poll numbers
Cartoons Artists take on fake pollsters, shared disapproval, and more
-
Deepfakes and impostors: the brave new world of AI jobseeking
In The Spotlight More than 80% of large companies use AI in their hiring process, but increasingly job candidates are getting in on the act
-
A journey into Egypt's western desert
The Week Recommends There is much more to be found in Egypt when straying from the usual tourist destinations
-
Splash! A Century of Swimming and Style: full of 'revelations and surprises'
The Week Recommends The Design Museum's sweeping collection of all things swimming contains hidden depths
-
The Ugly Stepsister: 'slyly funny' body-horror take on Cinderella
The Week Recommends Emilie Blichfeldt's cutting Norwegian revision of the classic fairy tale leaves no character unscathed
-
John Boyne shares his favourite books
The Week recommends The bestselling novelist picks works by Tobias Wolff, Christos Tsiolkas, and Agatha Christie
-
The Brightening Air: a 'gripping' family drama
The Week Recommends Connor McPherson's Chekhovian drama about a pair of siblings whose lives are upended by the arrival of their relations
-
6 isolated homes for hermits
Feature Featuring a secluded ranch on 560 acres in New Mexico and a home inspired by a 400-year-old Italian farmhouse in Colorado
-
Allies at War: a 'revelatory' account of the Second World War
The Week Recommends Tim Bouverie's 'old-fashioned diplomatic history' explores the often fraught relationship between world powers
-
The Friend: a 'graceful' but flawed dog movie
The Week Recommends Naomi Watts stars in 'intelligent' adaptation of Sigrid Nunez's book about a 'problematic pooch'