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Archipelago Sea National Park
The Archipelago Sea National Park protects a vast scatter of hundreds of islands, islets and skerries in the outer archipelago, safeguarding rare coastal nature, traditional farmed-island landscapes and important birdlife. The whole region around it is recognised as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, a sign of how unusual and fragile this seascape is. There is no single gate or entrance: you reach it through island hubs like Nauvo, Korpo and Kasnäs and the boats that run from them, picking up information at visitor points before heading out. It is less a destination than a living seascape to explore by ferry, boat and on foot, and it underpins almost everything that makes the archipelago special.
freesummer, autumnOuter Turku Archipelago
From the scout
There is no single entrance, so reach the park via hub islands like Nauvo, Korpo and Kasnäs and check information points before heading out. Respect the nature reserves and bird-protection areas, some islets are off-limits during the nesting season.
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Jurmo
Jurmo is one of the strangest and most beautiful islands in the archipelago, an almost treeless ridge of stones and low heath sitting on the great De Geer moraine, the tail of a ridge that runs across southern Finland. The landscape is stark and open, unlike anywhere else in the country, more like a northern moor than a Baltic island, and it is famous among birdwatchers as a landfall for migrating birds in spring and autumn. Reaching it by connection ferry takes commitment, but the reward is a sense of wild, wind-scoured emptiness and enormous skies. It is a place for walking, watching birds and feeling very far from the mainland.
freesummer, autumnOuter archipelago, Korpo
From the scout
It is reached by connection ferry, so plan carefully around the timetable and allow plenty of time. Bring binoculars and wind protection, the open heath has little shelter and the birdlife is the main event.
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Utö
Utö is the southernmost inhabited island in the Finnish archipelago, a tiny outer-sea community wrapped around a historic lighthouse and a long pilot-station heritage, with the open Baltic stretching to every horizon. The handful of year-round residents, the white-and-red lighthouse, the old fortifications and the raw, exposed setting give it a powerful sense of being at the very edge of the country. It is reached by a long archipelago ferry from Pärnäs near Nauvo, a journey of several hours that is an experience in itself. Remote, weather-beaten and atmospheric, it rewards travellers who want to go as far out to sea as the archipelago allows.
budgetsummerOutermost archipelago
From the scout
The ferry from Pärnäs takes several hours each way, so an overnight stay makes far more sense than a tight day trip. Pack for changeable, windy weather, the island is fully exposed to the open sea.
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Seili (Själö)
Seili (Själö) is a green, history-laden island reached by summer boat from Nauvo and Turku, with a heavy and poignant past: it served for centuries as a leper hospital and later as a women's asylum, and that history is written into its old wooden church and graveyard. Today it is a research station and a peaceful place of meadows, woodland and nature trails, where the dark human story sits alongside gentle island calm. Guided walks bring the island's past vividly to life, making it as much a place of reflection as of nature. The contrast between its beauty and its history is what makes a visit linger.
budgetsummerSeili, Nauvo
From the scout
Take a guided walk if one is running, the island's history is far richer and stranger than the quiet scenery suggests. Summer boats run from Nauvo and Turku, so check schedules and build in time on the island.
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Örö Nature Trails
Beyond its military history, Örö is a genuine nature destination within the Archipelago Sea National Park, with marked trails running the length of the long, narrow island past shoreline, heath and woodland. It is known for unusually rich flora and for butterflies and insects that thrive in its sandy, sun-warmed habitats, a legacy partly of its long closure to the public. Walking or cycling from the harbour to the southern tip takes you through changing landscapes and out to exposed, open-sea shoreline. The combination of accessible trails, rare nature and the island's strange past makes it one of the most rewarding places to simply walk in the whole archipelago.
budgetsummer, autumnÖrö, off Kasnäs
From the scout
Rent a bike at the harbour to cover the trails and reach the southern tip comfortably in a day. Stay on the marked paths, the island's habitats and species are protected within the national park.
