Finding the Universe

Travel tales, photography and a dash of humor

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Destinations
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Africa and Middle East
    • New Zealand
    • South America
  • Photography
    • Buy Photos
    • Photography Gear Guides
    • Photography Tips
    • Location Guides
  • PHOTO COURSE
  • About Us
    • Hire Us
    • Travel Resources
  • Contact
Home » Destinations » Europe » Finland » Visiting the worlds largest Archipelago
Finding the Universe contains affiliate links, meaning if you make a purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Visiting the worlds largest Archipelago

Last updated: March 12, 2019. Written by Laurence Norah - 2 Comments

If I asked you to name the largest group of islands (by number) in the world, I wonder where you’d think that might be. Pause a moment and ponder.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably thinking of sun kissed beaches and turquoise waters, with palm trees flapping around lazily in the breeze. Maybe there’s a pina colada somewhere in the shot.

I suspect that on the list of countries and destinations you were considering, Finland may not have popped into your head.

Well, as I learnt recently, the Archipelago Sea off Finland’s southern coast would in fact be the answer. It’s tough to get an exact number, but there are at least 50,000 islands, with over 17,000 of those being large enough to put some kind of dwelling on.

house by river Finland

Counting the islands is tricky enough, because new ones keep popping up. This is because the whole region is rising up out of the sea at the rate of a few millimetres a year – enough for it to change noticeably even within the lifetime of a person. Geology on amphetamines, Finland style.

Part of this area is a national park, cunningly named the Archipelago National Park, which is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It is chock full of interesting wildlife, from huge eagles through to seals. Not to mention all kinds of underwater stuff that would be of interest to those who spend their holidays below, rather than above, the water.

boat in harbour finland

On my trip though, the adventures took place above the water, tripping around and between these islands.

Boat is, without doubt, the best way to explore the area.

We took a ride from Kasnas, a village on the southern tip of the island of Kimito. Here there’s a visitor centre where you can learn all about the Archipelago, from the people to the wildlife and geology.

houses by lake finland

Our destination for the day was the Bengtskär Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in Scandinavia. The trip involved us wending our way through the many islands, a task that required an experienced navigator at the helm, as so many of the rocks in the area are hidden just below the surface.

group in front of Bengkstar lighthouse

On our way out to the lighthouse we stopped off at a replica Viking Village, where we got to play with chain mail and swords. This was particularly fun for the kids in our group, so if you’re travelling with kids, I can definitely recommend stopping off at the Rosala Viking Centre. Just be warned that the chain mail is heavy!

Man in chain mail viking village Finland

Then it was across to the lighthouse, which is the highest one in the Nordic region, at 52 metres above sea level. It was built at the turn of the 20th century, and has had a rocky past (sorry), being involved as it was in a major battle during the Second World War, when a good number of Soviet soldiers tried to take it from Finnish control.

They failed, but after the war the lighthouse fell into disrepair, only to be saved much later on in the 20th century when an association was formed to preserve it. These days it’s a major tourist attraction in the area.

And for good reason. The guides on the island are knowledgeable, and will tell you all about the history of the island in a nice easy 20 minute chat on the rocks. Once they’re done explaining, you are free to wander, and I highly recommend taking the time to head up the lighthouse steps.

The view from the top of the surrounding ocean is marvellous, even if the climb up to the top is a little on the strenuous side.The good news is that the sea is good for swimming, so if you get a nice day then you can heat up on the climb and then dip in the water afterwards to cool off. Splashing optional, but recommended. We went for the splashing option!

girls splashing water in finland sea swimming 2

girls splashing water in finland sea swimming

Before we knew it, our fun was over, and it was time to head back to the island of Kimito where, naturally, a hot sauna was waiting for us, along with a cold beer and an excellent Finnish sunset.

We couldn’t ask for more than that! If you want to do this tour yourself, then the whole thing including the Viking Village and lighthouse is available either by taxi boat between the islands, where you can arrange the different visits yourself, or by booking a specific tour from one of various operators. Whichever you choose, I’m sure you’ll have a fun time!

 

Further Reading

We’ve visited Finland a number of times, and from those visits we’ve put together a number of posts to help you plan your own trip. We’re always adding to these, so do sign up to stay up to date with latest posts!

  • We have a guide to what to do for a day in Helsinki, as well as a full review of the Helsinki Card
  • Our guide to visiting Finland in Winter, plus what to pack for winter in Finland
  • Our guide to taking a day trip to Porvoo from Helsinki
  • A guide to some of the fun summer activities you can get up to in Finland
  • Our experience Husky Sledding in the Arctic Circle
  • We also have some more cities and towns for you to read about. Check out our guide to visiting Rauma in winter, and our guide to visiting Oulu in winter for inspiration for your Finland trip.
  • Check out our post on taking a day trip to Tallinn from Helsinki, which is a great option if you want to add Estonia to your list
  • The official Helsinki Tourism website, which has lots of information on what to do as well as upcoming events and festivals.
  • The Lonely Planet guide to Finland

And with that, I end my trip around the 50,000 islands of the Archipelago Sea off the Finnish coast. Next in this series of posts from Finland I sharing with you some thoughts on what to do with a day in Helsinki. Enjoy!

sunset reeds Finland

My trip to Finland was in partnership with VisitFinland, who put together our awesome itinerary and sorted out all the logistics. Content remains my own.

Enjoyed this post? Why not share it!

Home » Destinations » Europe » Finland » Visiting the worlds largest Archipelago

Monthly Giveaway

Don't miss out on our exclusive monthly giveaways with lots of fun travel and photography related prizes! Click here to see our current giveaway and enter!

There are 2 comments on this post

Please scroll to the end to leave a comment

  1. Lesley says

    25th June 2019 at 1:10 am

    Like your blogs and information on Helsinki. Will definitely get a Helsinki card.

    Reply
    • Laurence Norah says

      25th June 2019 at 1:17 am

      Thanks Lesley – have a great trip to Finland and let us know if you have any questions!

      Laurence

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let me know when there's a reply to my comment (just replies to your comment, no other e-mails, we promise!)

Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter where we share our latest travel news and tips. This also makes you eligible to enter our monthly giveaways!

We only ask for your e-mail so we can verify you are human and if requested notify you of a reply. To do this, we store your data as outlined in our privacy policy. Your e-mail will not be published or used for any other reason other than those outlined above.

About Us

Laurence and Jessica Norah

Hi there! We're Laurence and Jessica Norah. We've been running this site since 2010 as full time professional travel bloggers. We visit all the places we write about personally, and all our content is based on our own first hand travel experiences. We also take all the photos you see on our sites. So grab a drink, dive in, and read on! You can also find out more about us here. Comic included.
Photography course
monthly giveaway
Carbon Neutral Policy

SUBSCRIBE BY E-MAIL

Want to keep up to date with us and our latest travel tips? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.

Being a subscriber also makes you eligible to enter our monthly travel and photography giveaways!

Thank you!

Please check your e-mail to confirm your sign up.

Affiliate Information

This website contains affiliate links to products and services that generate a small income to us if you choose to use them, at no cost to you. We only recommend products and services that we use ourselves, and will always link to relevant information, regardless of whether or not there is an affiliate program. See our Code of Ethics for more information.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Sitemap
  • About Us
  • Work with us
  • Contact us
  • Blog
  • Destinations
  • Travel Resources
  • Photography Tips
  • Monthly Giveaway
  • Web Stories

© Copyright 2010 - 2021 Finding the Universe®· All Rights Reserved ·
Part of Travel Cats Media Ltd. Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 11524454.