The Bohuslän coast – you are going to love this!
The Bohuslän coast runs almost 280 kilometres up Sweden’s west side, from the city of Gothenburg all the way up to Norway. Off the coast there are 8,000 islands and up until about a century ago the people of the coast and island relied on the humble herring and quarrying rock for a living. Those are the bare facts, now comes the really good stuff.
Photographer: Roger Borgelid
The coastline is packed with small fishing villages among the smooth granite rock and they are perfect stop offs for sunning, bathing and maybe a spot of crab fishing. If you are staying longer you can book self-guided and guided kayaking tours of some of the islands, including Kosterhavet National Park, Sweden’s first marine national park that takes in the beautiful and car-free Koster and other islands. Here you can spot seals lolling in the waves or on the rocks, do a bit of island hopping, or even swim a ‘snorkel trail’ and spot some of the plants and creatures that live here. Down by the harbour in the towns of Grebbestad, Fjällbacka and Strömstad local fisherman would be only too happy to take you out to bait and haul in lobster (from end September), langoustine and crab (best thing is that on most of these trips you get to taste or buy some of the spoils). For fishermen and fisherwoman (this is Sweden after all), on the river Öreskilsälvan there could be a large salmon with your name on it, while in the waters offshore the first sea trout of the season is waiting to be hooked.
Photographer: Henrik Trygg
A truly fabulous way of experiencing the Bohuslän coast and inland is by hiking or cycling. You can walk or cycle Kuststigen (the coast trail) and the 370 kilometre long Bohusleden, that starts in Gothenburg in the south and stretches all the way to the seaside town of Strömstad in the north.
Photographer: G Assner
