The Finnish Archipelago Sea

A view over the outer Archipelago Sea

The unique Finnish archipelago

We spend time every single summer in some part of the Archipelago Sea on the southern coast of Finland. It is a completely unique landscape, located between the Finnish mainland (around Turku) and the Åland Islands, in the northern Baltic Sea. It has around 40,000–50,000 islands (depending slightly on how one defines an island), though only about 300 are permanently inhabited. The total area, including sea and land, spans roughly 8,300 square kilometers and offers a breathtaking environment for boating, camping, fishing and even biking. The largest islands are accessible by ferries that are part of the public transport network in Finland and are either free or may charge a few euros.

This year we spent a few days with good friends partly camping and partly staying in cabins, island hopping with three dogs. As always, the trip did not disapoint. On the first island, we found a secluded area a couple of kilometres from the marina. The trek there was easy, although mosquito infested as all wild places here are at this time of year. We did walk back to the marina in the evening for a beer and a delicious hamburger meal.

Many islands actually have marinas where people sailing the area can moor their boat for the night. Some of them have small restaurants, shops, showers and toilet facilities which offers a nice break, especially for those in smaller boats. These places are also great for meeting other like minded people and hearing stories, not to mention getting good tips on future destinations.

The second island we stayed at is a place we’ve been to before. It has an absolutely stunning beach and offers perfect spots for tents. The best part, it’s usually deserted. It’s like a little local paradise, to unwind, enjoy good food and sleep with the sound of waves and seagulls in the background. Life doesn’t get much better than that! ☺️

Moving on, we had the privilege to be invited to the island homestead of our friend on a close by island for the last day and a half. This is a place straight out of a children’s story book with a small community of traditional archipelago style buildings, which include residential buildings, sheds/woodsheds, boathouses and guest cottages.

The last night in one of the guest cabins felt really luxurious after the previous nights in a tent and the constant, very distinct scent of the sea is always present. For me, it’s a scent that takes me back to childhood summers spent in this same area.

After strolling around the island, taking in the view and the sun, looking for driftwood pieces for decorations and having a delicious meal of fish soup and the traditional “Archipelago bread”, we took the ferry back to the mainland and our car.

One of the perks of living in a country like Finland is that there’s a lot of space, if that’s what you’re looking for. There’s a lot of wilderness still left in most parts of the country which in today’s world is a real treasure. At least the archipelago here is challenging enough to reach and tricky enough to navigate that it won’t be gathering large tourist crowds any time soon.

A comforting thought.

If you are interested, you can check out our videos from all our trips on YouTube <HERE>.

Evening view from the guest cottage

Relaxing on a deserted beach

Drone view of the island homestead

Connect:

Join us for stories and fresh perspectives.

Contact US:

Subscribe:

info@ventureperspectives.com

© 2025. All rights reserved.