A taste for fine food and adventure? Take a seafood safari

The Big Five in the region are lobster, crayfish, oysters, prawns and mussels which can be sampled through safaris at locations across Bohuslän.

Lobster - the lobster season gets the autumn off to a flavoursome start on 27 September. West Sweden lobsters are also recognised for their high quality and are a much anticipated treat. You will find fresh lobster on restaurant menus in Gothenburg and around the region and Grebbestad even brews a special beer to accompany its delicate flavour. Lobster safaris are an exciting way to discover the 'Black Gold' at different locations. Check into Handelsman Flink Hotel for example, on the island of Flatön, to head out to sea and help hoist the pots. Back at the hotel and after a relaxing sauna or Jacuzzi, help cook and then tuck into this most special of suppers.

Crayfish – help catch and, as your reward, eat these fine-flavoured creatures at locations along the west coast. For example, join the Strandö fishing boat at the coastal town of Strömstad and make waves en route to the Koster Islands, mooring nearby to help pull up the pots and their fishy riches. Continue onto the island boathouse where the crayfish are cooked before their final destination – your stomach. Another good option is to join Ingemar on his boat leaving Fjällbacka for a similar experience.

Oyster – well-known as a delicacy the world over, oysters are a treat and those found in Bohuslän's waters are extra special, maturing slowly in the sea. There are many opportunities to taste them and oyster safaris, bringing visitors to the oyster beds, make sure they're the freshest tasting mollusc around. Let skipper Per Karlsson be your guide as you make your way to the harvesting areas, aboard his 1952 boat, in the scenic waters around Grebbestad. Sample their taste - like a kiss from the ocean – before returning to the historic Everts Sjöbod boathouse for a mount-watering meal.

Prawn - Try your luck for the tasty Gullmar Prawn and learn about the flora and fauna of idyllic Gullmar Fjord during a fishing trip. A licence from the Board of Fisheries for 20 'tourist days' fishing a year means the stylish Gullmarsstrand Hotel and Vann Spa Hotel, in co-operation with the local Lysekil Tourist Office and scientists from the Havets Hus sealife centre, can offer two-hour trawls.

Mussels - Take a local ferry from Hällevikstrand on the island of Orust to the car-free island of Käringön. Here you will find a typical fishing village dating back to the 16th century which today forms part of a vibrant summertime island scene. Pick your own mussels and boil them by the jetty overlooking the sea and stay the night at the Hotel Käringön.
   
Or just let it all come to you – you don't have to go chasing the seafood on holiday; sit back in one of Gothenburg and West Sweden's many fine restaurants and order from menus with a glut of seafood. Some, such as Salt & Sill on the island of Klädesholmen, make seafood a speciality. Salt & Sill offers traditional regional dishes combined with innovative thinking and is particularly known for its herring.
   
For more information about seafood safaris in West Sweden go to www.westsweden.com
 
Ends – 7 September 2010
  
Press: For more information contact Ann-Charlotte Carlsson at the West Sweden Tourist Board on +46 (0) 730 21 21 14 (www.ann-charlotte.carlsson@vastsverige.com).