Seili - Kookospalmun alla

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The Little Archipelago Ring Road is the perfect summer route for anyone who wants to experience the beauty of the Turku Archipelago in Finland in an easy and exciting way. This ring road combines marine nature, idyllic archipelago villages and a genuine archipelago atmosphere into one unforgettable trip. Traveling in the archipelago is also suitable for those traveling with dogs, as there is fresh sea breeze, beautiful nature and dog-friendly accommodation and restaurants. The absolute highlights of this summer route are Nauvo and Seili, where you can enjoy local archipelago delicacies, the bustle of boaters and stunning sea views, while getting to know the dark history of Seili Island. Last summer, we made an unforgettable summer trip to the Turku Archipelago with Johanna P. from the Muu Maa Mandariini blog, and now we decided to share our favorite tips and experiences together.

Turku Archipelago Finland — Beautiful Turku Archipelago, Finland

THE LITTLE ARCHIPELAGO RING ROAD

We decided to go for the first time in our lives to explore the Turku archipelago and chose the Little Archipelago Ring Route as our route. There are both large and small circular routes, but due to schedules, we ended up trying the small one as first-time visitors. We love the sea and archipelago landscapes, so this domestic summer trip was highly anticipated.

The Little Archipelago Ring Route runs the route Turku-Kaarina-Parainen-Nauvo-Seili-Rymättylä-Naantali-Turku (or vice versa) and includes three ferry trips. The Small Archipelago Ring Route is great for both a day trip and a longer archipelago holiday. The Large Archipelago Ring Route, as its name suggests, is a larger route and includes several different destinations, taking a little longer in time as well.

PARAINEN – A LITTLE PIECE OF CAKE

We drove from Tampere via Kaarina to Pargas (Parainen), where we had our first longer coffee break. Pargas is a very nice city, and its cute little old town with its wooden houses is definitely worth experiencing. For a coffee break, I recommend the lovely Cafe Hallonblad at the end of the pedestrian street in the city center. The cheesecake was so tasty!

NAUVO – THE GEM OF THE TURKU ARCHIPELAGO

Nauvo is a wonderfully idyllic archipelago village and the absolute pearl of the Turku archipelago. Nauvo is now part of the city of Pargas and is known for its stunning seascapes, lively guest marina, beautiful nature and summery archipelago atmosphere. Nauvo is the perfect summer holiday destination if you are looking for sea breeze, peace and authentic archipelago culture. Nauvo is located just a short distance from Turku and is easy to get there by car, bike or boat. Nauvo definitely offers something for every archipelago traveler, from local experiences to a cozy atmosphere, beautiful seascapes and relaxed archipelago life.

With our bellies full of cake, we continued our journey from Pargas towards Nauvo. At this point in the journey we also had our first ferry crossing on the Hämmärönsalmi ferry. The ferries are free and the experience was so fun that our French bulldog Sumu decided to fan his ears out the car window, sniffing the sea air for the first time.

After arriving in Nauvo, we first headed to explore its cozy guest marina. The harbor has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes, as well as small boutiques for shopping during your archipelago vacation. The harbor is bustling throughout the summer, as many people stop here with their own boats. Nauvo is one of the most important stops on the Archipelago Ring Road.

In the summer, several cultural events are organized in Nauvo, such as music festivals, archipelago art exhibitions and craft markets. Various archipelago trips are popular among those interested in nature and activities, and in Nauvo you can, for example, paddle, fish or take a guided boat trip. We focused on relaxing and enjoying the sea views, admiring the boats and browsing the boutiques. Sumu dipped her paws in the seawater for the first time on the beach and was really excited about the experience.

ACCOMMODATION IN NAUVO

There are many types of accommodation in Nauvo and at different price levels. We were looking for something a bit cottage-style, as we were three adults and a dog. We found Gammelgård Pizza & Padel Resort, located in the middle of wonderful rural landscapes, which offers both traditional hotel rooms and cottage-style apartment accommodation. The place is pet-friendly and has a relaxed and cozy atmosphere. Our apartment was spacious, clean and modern and we were able to have our own peace and quiet in a separate building. The large courtyard suited Sumu very well. There is a good pizzeria restaurant on site, where we decided to have dinner with tasty pizzas. We crowned our first evening in the archipelago with my husband by pampering ourselves in the hot tub and sauna, which can be rented for use on site for a good price.

CHECK ALL THE ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS FOR NAUVO HERE!

SEILI – THE DARK HISTORY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO

In the middle of the Turku archipelago lies the mystical and fascinating island of Seili. At first glance, Seili seems like any other island in the archipelago, with lush nature and beautiful seascapes. However, Seili’s past hides centuries of history full of harsh fates, illness, isolation and scientific research. Seili is an experience that leaves a mark on the visitor’s mind. Seili’s interesting history and the beauty of its nature made the island the second highlight of our summer archipelago holiday for us.

Seili is a small island in the Archipelago Sea, in the area of the city of Pargas. Seili is known especially for its dark history and is definitely worth a visit during a summer archipelago holiday.
In the 17th century, Seili Island served as a leprosy hospital and many of the patients sent to the island never returned. Leprosy patients were deliberately transferred to the island for isolation and their fate was to live and die on the island. A church and cemetery were also built for the patients. At the end of the 18th century, when leprosy was waning, Seili was converted into a state mental hospital, where female patients were treated in particular, many of whom were poor, rejected by society or without a diagnosis. The hospital continued to operate for over 200 years, until 1962.

Seili’s isolation and silence once gave it a reputation as an almost mythical place. Today, the island’s history, its buildings and the old church with its cemetery are reminders of this past. Seili is a truly interesting excursion destination, combining archipelago nature, history and science. The Archipelago Sea Research Institute of the University of Turku also operates on the island today.

HOW TO REACH SEILI ISLAND?

Seili is located about 30 kilometers from Turku and is easily accessible from Nauvo, Rymättylä in Naantali or directly from Turku by ferry. Ferries run regularly during the summer and it is worth checking the schedules in advance. During the summer, ferries can be crowded, so it is recommended to buy ferry tickets in advance.

We drove our car from the port of Nauvo to the ferry that takes us to Seili. Seili is a nature reserve, so the island itself is not accessible by car at all, but our own transport game continued the journey on the ferry to the next destination, Rymättylä. The ferry employees drove our car to the port in Rymättylä to wait for us and we got the keys back when we returned to the ferry ourselves. It is worth booking ferry trips online in advance, as there can be a long queue during peak times. We were lucky and got on the ferry quickly without advance tickets, but Johanna had worse luck on the trip and the ferry they were waiting for was filled with only those who had bought advance tickets and they had to wait for the next ferry for over 1.5 hours.

VISITING SEILI ISLAND

When arriving at Seili, the ferry will leave you at the small island’s pier. Seili is beautiful and easy to navigate, and the walking path from the harbor leads through lush nature and the island’s historical buildings all the way to the main building and church. Our dog Sumu was immediately excited by the island’s pleasant smells, and despite the sunny day, she managed to walk around the island with excitement and not getting tired.

In the main building, you can explore the equipment and supplies of the old hospital, and one patient room has even been left as it was. A small and narrow room with an old straitjacket lying on the iron bed. This room has kept many visitors staring at it for a long time. The main building now houses the Seili restaurant, which serves everything from breakfast to dinner. We enjoyed a filling lunch here in the form of a buffet and I can definitely recommend it. There was a variety of dirrent foods on offer and there is certainly a choice for every taste, even for those who don’t eat meat. The lunch buffet costs €17.50/person.

Seili’s beautiful, reddish old wooden church stands in a green open space a short walk from the main building. There is a small entrance fee here and we kindly paid it out of curiosity, and I can warmly recommend this visit. Inside, you can see how the lepers were separated from the others during mass with locked gates and outside behind the church lies an old cemetery filled with wooden crosses. The cemetery was a bit of a heart stopping and sad sight and I especially remembered the crosses next to each other under the tree, which judging by the dates, were the graves of small babies and children.

A visit to Seili is truly worth the experience and although the island has a dark history, there is also a lot of beauty there. Seili serves as both a pleasant day trip destination and an interesting history lesson. Seili is also suitable for those traveling with a dog, as the island is a nature destination and dogs were welcome in all the interior spaces and buildings except the church.

TURKU ARCHIPELAGO TOP 5 TIPS BY KOOKOSPALMUN ALLA & MUU MAA MANDARIINI BLOGS:

Check the route, destinations and ferry schedules in advance, as summertime in the archipelago can be crowded.
Get the necessary ferry tickets online in advance, as these always take priority when the ferries are full and there may be a queue.
Book your accommodation well in advance if possible, as the best places are sold out during the summer season and prices can be high.
The archipelago is great for those traveling with dogs, but be prepared for ticks, as there are a lot of them in the archipelago.
Stop to explore different places and enjoy your archipelago holiday to the fullest, the highlight here is not the destination, but the entire archipelago route!

Check out Johanna from Muu Maa Mandariini blog’s last summer trip to the Turku Archipelago and get the best tips for the Mathildedal old village and the summer atmosphere in Naantali!