Messing about in boats

Forty-five minutes' drive north of Gothenburg, off a romantic and rocky coast, is one of Sweden's best kept secrets. An island in the Bohuslan archipelago, no more than a mile long and half that wide, Marstrand is the epitome of Scandanavian chic and a haven for yachties, walkers, swimmers and lovers of Nordic style.

Forty-five minutes' drive north of Gothenburg, off a romantic and rocky coast, is one of Sweden's best kept secrets. An island in the Bohuslan archipelago, no more than a mile long and half that wide, Marstrand is the epitome of Scandanavian chic and a haven for yachties, walkers, swimmers and lovers of Nordic style.

Its clean, natural beauty has won over many jaded by the flotsam and jetsam of Mediterranean life. But, to date, most of the excitement has been over the east-lying islands around Stockholm, rather than the more accessible west coast reached by the short, daily and increasingly cheap Ryanair and SAS flights from the UK.

Marstrand, with its picturesque clapboard houses reminiscent of New England, and rocky coves seemingly plucked from Cornwall, is the jewel of a coastline that stretches up to the Norwegian border 100 miles north. Although there is much competition on this coast - Ingmar Bergman used to have a summer house slightly further north near Fjallbacka - Marstrand is probably the most fashionable spot in this part of Sweden.

"Several chief executives of household-name Swedish companies, for instance, have summer houses here," says Peter Jonson of the Maklarhuset estate agency on the island.

Linked to the mainland by a passenger ferry - private cars are banned on Marstrand - it supplies that peaceful, get-away-from-it island feeling in spades. Yet its range of stylish galleries, boutiques, bars and hotels - notably the Grand Hotel with its Gustavian rooms - provide the right amount of urban sophistication.

In winter, often decked out in snow, it looks like a winter fairyland, with log-burning braziers lit in Paradise Park for warming the hands. By summer, it is Sweden's undisputed yachting capital - its alleyways, bars and parks are thronged with crowds of good-humoured, mostly blond-haired crews and spectators.

Yet even in summer, there are quiet corners and easy access to nearby islands and parts of the mainland where you will be hard-pressed to find another soul. Marstrand, already home to a handful of Brits and other foreigners among a permanent population of about 500, is also a good base for touring this area of beautiful wilderness.

Swedes have the right to roam under what is known as the allemansratt or public access laws. They are allowed to walk, cycle, ride or ski through privately owned land. They can also camp up to three nights in the same spot without permission as long as they are not within sight of the owner's residence.

By August, there are fewer people around because most Scandinavian schools have already started their autumn terms.

Property prices here are higher than in some other parts of Sweden, but still a snip compared with their American or British equivalents. The pretty wooden houses, mostly built in the 18th and 19th centuries, with their elegant windows, balconies, high ceilings and pastel-painted clapboarding, are highly sought after.

It is no coincidence that Maklarhuset has set up shop right next to the mainland ferry terminal. Passengers frequently scan the windows for a good house coming on to the market while waiting for the boat.

Local agents almost invariably speak impeccable English and are usually very helpful and, despite the competition for these houses, gazumping is unheard of. But while prices have risen by up to 40 per cent over the past five years, they have "stabilised over the past 12 months and now is a good time to buy," says Berith Bergkvist at Skandia Maklarna estate agents. For those on a tight budget, it is worth sacrificing the sea view - nowhere is more than a couple of minutes from the water - to cut £50,000 or more off the purchase price.

Skandia Maklarna has just sold a light, five-room clapboard house set just back from the sea, with first floor balcony and exquisite interior decoration, for about 4m Swedish kronor (£299,000). But another for sale through Gunillagardens Makleri, equally picturesque although slightly smaller, is on the market for Skr4.7m and has charming sea views from its balcony.

Also for sale is a grand, rambling timber house, one of the island's most prestigious, with a garden, a two-bedroom guest house and panoramic sea views. Built in 1818, it has been painstakingly restored, with traditional light-grey painted walls, original fireplaces and solid oak floors. Three minutes from the ferry, it will set you back Skr6.5m through Maklarhuset. Something similar in Cornwall would cost well over £1m. The most expensive house sold on the island last year went for Skr9.5m, but another went for as little as Skr2.3m.

As the Swedish peak holiday season is in June and July, when the days are longest, it is possible to fill the house very profitably with tenants outside British school holidays. "People pay at least Skr6,000 to Skr10,000 a week in June and July, and perhaps 70 per cent of that figure at other times," says Ms Bergkvist.

Potential buyers can consult www.hemnet.se; Gunillagardens Makleri 00 46 (0)31 55 45 48; SkandiaMaklarna 00 46 (0)31 703 3901; Maklarhuset 00 46 (0)31 733 60 60, www.maklarhuset.se