Why should I go? It’s just a 90-minute journey to the Bohuslan archipelago, an area untouched by developers and free of visiting hordes. Turn right as you sail out of Gothenburg and you’ll find quiet, mesmerising beauty.

An archipelago off Sweden’s west coast could hardly be a secret, although large parts of it were closed to foreigners by the military until a few years ago. It is a scattering of hundreds of islands, some a couple of miles across, some no more than a few yards, most empty, some with a handful of tiny fishermen’s houses and a few with villages. It is easily overlooked — most books and maps don’t bother with all the islets and narrow channels. Foreign visitors are confined to Norwegians and adventurous Germans. Apart from a few restaurants and shops selling basic essentials, it’s a commerce-free zone.

What do I do? The best way to see the islands is by boat, though some of the larger ones are connected to the mainland by bridges, and ferries run to others. I was sailing on Sandvita, a 48ft racing yacht, skippered by its owner, Stig Larsen, who hires it out through Sjosportskolan, with crew if required.

We had a vague plan to sail north and visit some of the larger islands. When sailing, all plans have to be vague, but as the area is a gigantic adventure playground for boats, who cares? The scattering of rocky outcrops and tiny islands tests sailing skills and provides sheltered anchorages for when you want to stop and swim or sunbathe.

It’s a setting for exciting sailing, even for novices. Tacking up one narrow channel against a strong wind with the yacht heeling thrillingly, Stig kept us arrowing at the rocky shore until sunbathers started raising their heads like curious basking seals. Then he swung the bow through the wind, the sail clapped and banged as I hauled furiously, and the boom swung round above us.

We were heading for Marstrand for the night. Its history is dramatic. The island town, founded under Norwegian rule in the 13th century, became so rich from herring fishing that by the 16th century it was reputed to be the most immoral place in Scandinavia. Unfortunately, God intervened and it burnt down. By the 18th century, it was back in full swing and became the first place in Sweden to let foreigners reside.

Lasse Maja, a sort of transvestite Robin Hood, was imprisoned in its castle, where you can still see drawings made by another prisoner in his own blood. It calmed down when the fickle herring disappeared, but still managed to open Sweden’s first discotheque in 1964.

So it’s quite a shock when you sail round the headland and see Marstrand for the first time. Yes, there’s the imposing (small) castle on the skyline, but the pretty town is so modest that if you brought the boat into the harbourside too hard, the whole lot would collapse The next morning, we sailed up to Astol, a small island with a natural harbour. The old wooden houses are so crammed onto the tight rock that the Swedes now call it the place with “no industry, no fishing and no soil”.

Most of the dwellings are holiday homes, or are owned by people who work on the mainland, rather than the introverted fishing community of 20 or so years ago. “They were very strange,” says Stig. “Like that film Deliverance.”

We sailed on and anchored in a sheltered spot between the islands of Hjartero and Tjorn. We swam, had lunch, then sailed off back to Gothenburg for the evening flight back to London. At one point, Stig surveyed the horizon and said how amazingly busy it was. There were about 10 yachts and motorboats out there. I told him that at this time of year in the Solent, you can’t see the horizon for nautical traffic. The Bohuslan archipelago is another world.

Where do I stay? On the boat, bobbing gently on the sheltered briny. Yachts and motor cruisers can be hired through Sjosportskolan (00 46-3129 2030, www.sjosportskolan.se/english); from £740 for a weekend — running from 4pm on Friday to 6pm on Sunday — for a boat sleeping seven, or £1,450 with a skipper.

Where do I eat? Culinary ambition has recently gripped western Sweden. There are now four Michelin-starred eateries in Gothenburg alone. We had dinner on Marstrand, at Societetshuset (3036 0600, www.societetshuset.se), a restaurant in a converted 1886 civic building of restrained grandeur, where we watched sundown from a large balcony overlooking the ocean. The best stuff is fish-based and simple — we all went for grilled halibut with butter, lemon and fennel.

How do I get there? FlyMe (www.flyme.com) flies to Gothenburg from Stansted; Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from Stansted, Glasgow Prestwick and Dublin; City Airline (0870 220 6835, www.cityairline.com) flies from Birmingham and Manchester; and SAS flies from Heathrow (0870 607 2772, www.scandinavian.net). You can see the area by driving, using the bridges that connect the larger islands and ferries out to the middling ones. However, many smaller islands only have foot ferries — cars are banned, for example, on Marstrand — and you will miss the best bits.

More information: West of Sweden tourist board

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