Such is a perfect day in the Finnish archipelago. You hop on a bike and pedal along the scenic archipelago road. The sea sparkles beside you until the road briefly dives into the shade of the forest. You stop to look at a mystical, ancient stone circle and enjoy a coffee at a farmhouse café.
You continue your journey. First over a bridge to a new island, then on a free ferry to the next. You climb a beautiful gray rock to admire the scenery. The evening sun is still shining, although the day is already well advanced. A sea eagle circles in the golden hues of the sky. You might take a dip in the sea.
Finally, it’s time to head to the cozy guesthouse you’ve booked for the night, which is in an old wooden mansion. Tomorrow the journey continues, from a beautiful island to an even more beautiful one.
What’s delightful about the Finnish archipelago is that tourism is just taking its first steps on many islands. You can find nice places to stay and good restaurants, but the islands still feel authentic and local. Tourism hasn’t changed them yet.
Geography of the Finnish Archipelago
The Finnish archipelago is a magnificent natural wonder. There are tens of thousands of islands. Many of them are tiny islets, but there are also hundreds of large, inhabited islands.
The archipelago is almost like a living being, even though it moves at a slower pace than we humans are used to: rock skerries grow into islets in a couple of hundred years.
This is due to land uplift. While the sea level is rising elsewhere in the world, it’s the opposite in Finland. The reason is the ice age, which pressed the earth’s surface down so much that it still hasn’t returned to its proper level.
The nature is unique. The rocks are grooved, and the pines are short and gnarled like Japanese bonsai trees. Flowers bloom beautifully in the harsh environment.
The most spectacular animals in the Archipelago Sea are the cute, chubby seals and the majestic sea eagles soaring in the sky.
And the best part: it is easy for travelers to enjoy the Finnish archipelago, as you don’t need your own boat. The inhabited islands are connected to each other either by bridges or by free ferry services.
The core part of the Finnish archipelago can be roughly divided into two parts. There’s the autonomous Åland between Finland and Sweden and the Turku archipelago closer to the coast, in front of its namesake city.
If you want to go on a truly epic island-hopping trip, you can combine Åland and the Turku archipelago, spending the whole summer traveling from one island to another, searching for your favorite.
The unofficial capital of the Finnish archipelago is Turku, Finland’s oldest city, which exudes medieval history. There’s a grand castle, an ancient cathedral, and old wooden quarters that function as museums.
Even though the city is firmly on the mainland, by the river, it’s worth spending a few days in Turku as part of your archipelago tour. After spending time in picturesque rural landscapes, it’s fun to dive into Turku’s vibrant urban culture.
The Best Sights in the Finnish Archipelago
The most magnificent sight in the Finnish archipelago is Bengtskär, the most beautiful lighthouse in the Nordic countries, built in a national romantic style on a solitary islet. Or forget the unnecessary Finnish modesty. This is indeed one of the finest lighthouses in the world. If you know of a more impressive one, let us know!
On the way to Bengtskär lighthouse, it’s worth stopping at Rosala Island, where a Viking village has been reconstructed. The Finns were not involved in the Viking raids, but they traded actively with them. The Viking eastern route passed through Rosala.
Naantali is a beautiful, small wooden town, in front of which there is a theme park based on Finnish fairy tale characters, the Moomins. A sure hit for those traveling with children! In Naantali, you can also visit the summer residence of the President of Finland, adorned with a beautiful garden.
The highlights of the Åland archipelago include a grand medieval castle and majestic archipelago landscapes. Åland is also known for its lovely restaurants.
If you want to experience the isolation of northern archipelago life, the best place for that is the ruggedly exotic Utö, the southernmost island of Finland. On this small, ruggedly beautiful island, a few dozen people live year-round. In the summer, the island livens up a bit with summer residents.
Cycle from One Island to Another
Yes, in Finland you can experience the wonder of cycling from one island to another. However, no miracle powers are needed for this. The main islands of the Finnish archipelago are connected to each other by bridges as well as ferries and free connection boats. Completely free, can you imagine!
You can also take a car on these boats, but cycling through the archipelago is particularly enjoyable. The roads in the archipelago are narrow but well-maintained, and there is little traffic. While cycling, you have time to admire the scenery and breathe the fresh sea air. And on small islands, distances are conveniently short for biking.
There are three great cycling routes in the archipelago. The most famous of these is the Archipelago Trail, which starts from Turku, the medieval capital of Finland, and moves from one island to another to the beautiful wooden town of Naantali. Along the way, in addition to beautiful landscapes, there is an ancient mystical stone circle, the Jatulintarha, a former leper island, cozy guesthouses, and much more to experience.
A good alternative is the slightly less known Coastal Route, which partly runs on the mainland. The route starts and ends in Hanko, the southernmost town in Finland, known for its beautiful wooden villas. The highlights of the trip include the majestic Bengtskär lighthouse, the Rosala Viking Center, and the hip coastal village of Mathildedal.
Åland, the autonomous, predominantly Swedish-speaking archipelago between Finland and Sweden, is also an excellent cycling destination.
Spa Holiday in the Finnish Archipelago
There are several nice spas in the Finnish archipelago. The one with the most archipelago atmosphere is the Spa Hotel Kasnäs, which has good boat connections to various parts of the nearby archipelago, including Bengtskär lighthouse.
Hanko Spa also offers maritime vibes. From here, you can also take a day trip to the same magnificent lighthouse island. Hanko is a beautiful town in itself. Russian nobles used to come here to spend their holidays before the revolution. The ornate wooden villas, which now house romantic guesthouses, are a reminder of that era.
Naantali Spa, in turn, is known for its particularly delicious restaurants. And the surroundings are lovely in the old wooden town.
The Best Time to Travel in the Finnish Archipelago
Travel to the archipelago is busiest in the summer – in winter, many guesthouses and restaurants may be closed, and connection boats may run less frequently than in summer.
Of course, you can travel in the archipelago in winter too. Then, the atmosphere can be exotically icy, with cold and biting sea winds whipping the snowy and icy landscape. If you want to experience a truly exotic couple of days in Finland, travel in winter to Finland’s most isolated island, Utö.
Read more: The 4 seasons of Finland
How to get to the Archipelago
The most convenient way to travel to the Finnish archipelago is through the largest city in the area, Turku. Turku is a two-hour train ride from the capital, Helsinki. Turku Airport has good flight connections from Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, which also has a car ferry service. There are also flights from, for example, Warsaw and Krakow with Wizz Air. Air Baltic flies from Riga, the capital of Latvia.
From Turku, there are good bus connections along the archipelago routes.
You can reach the autonomous Åland by car ferry from Helsinki, Turku, and Stockholm. You can also fly to Åland.
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