The outer Archipelago spans over two municipalities: the Cunicipality of Sipoo and the City of Porvoo. Inhabitants here have however seldom made any bigger difference on which municipality they come from – they foremost have been inhabitants of their home island. Once an important area for professional fishing, nowadays the archipelago is mostly a space for relaxation and recreation. Many people who live in the nearby cities have a summer cottage on one of the thousands of islands that make up the archipelago of the Finnish Gulf.
There is however still some families who continue to both live and work in these harsh environments. Fishermen and -women, boatyard owners and carpenters are among the professions found among people who decide to live all year long on the islands that have little or no permanent transportation connection to the mainland. It is however not uncommon for summer cottage owners to prolong their stays, as the archipelago nowadays is vastly electrified and offers wireless internet connections that match those found on the mainland.
Our family came to the outer archipelago in 1950 and some members of the family continue to live all-year-long on the island.
Guided tour around the outer Archipelago
After a little trip through the inner Archipelago that belongs to the Municipality of Sipoo, we continue almost straight southwards, covering a journey of approximately 10 nautical miles. Depending on the group size and therefore choice of vessel, this transit will take between 25 and 45 minutes. We then arrive to the twin islands of Bodö and Pörtö, which are almost interconnected, but still separated by a narrow strait of water (during low waters you can wade over from one island to the other). Funilly enough, these islands formally are a part of the City of Porvoo, although the city itself is a good 2-3 hour boat drive away.
Both islands have people living all year around, but traditionally the islander families have been more numerous on Pirttisaari. Pirttisaari also used to be the home for many soldiers and the work place for Coast Guard officers, but these authorities left step-by-step between the 1980’s and the 2010’s. Nowadays the former military areas have been transformed into recreational areas.
We will be able to see the beautiful old fishermen’s cottages, the former steam ship jetty that still today is frequented every now and then by former steam ship M/s J.L. Runeberg (now using a modern diesel engine). In the inner bay of Pirttisaari, we can observe the beautiful old school that still was in its original use in the 1980’s. The Bodö boatyard’s current owner was one of the last pupils completing his primary school there. Nowadays the school building functions as the “village” center and is frequently used for parties and events among the inhabitants of the area.
Turning towards the east, we will in the distance be able to see “Papa Moomin’s lighthouse”, familiar from the popular Moomin books, films and TV series. In real life this lighthouse, that the Moomins’ creator Tove Jansson meticulously copied into her stories including the geography and the architecture of the buildings on this remote island, is known as Söderskär.
Returning towards mainland we will see in the distance the high rising chimneys of the (in tons of cargo) busiest port of Finland – the Sköldvik oil and gas refinery. If we see fires coming out of the chimneys, there’s no need to worry. It is just sulfur being burned so nothing is out of the ordinary.
Once we get back to mainland, there is an option to visit the very nice restaurant Kalkkirannan Kievari, situated a short walk away from the harbour. Please let us know in advance if you would like to book a table, we’ll be happy to do that for you. You will also get a small benefit or discount.
| Type of tour | Grand guided boat tour around the whole archipelago |
| Distance | About 25 nautical miles |
| Duration | 2 hours total for 1-5 persons 2,5 hours total for 6-12 persons |
| Level of difficulty | Easy Must be able to enter and exit the vessel (when assisted.) Must be able to step up and/or down a few steps (when assisted). This tour is not suitable for persons with disabilities who are not able to enter the vessel on their own when assisted. We are sorry that our current boats are not designed for persons with mobility disabilities. |
| Available services | Restroom is available before departure and after return on mainland. Please notice that there are no toilets onboard the boats. Possibility to fill water bottles available on mainland before departure. NB! No drinking water available onboard the vessel. Refillable water bottles available for purchase at the boat. |
| Necessary equipment | Dress according to the weather. There is no heating and no air conditioning onboard the vessels. The weather can be cold, windy and rainy. Bring a water bottle with you (or buy a refillable one from us, please inform of need in advance). |
| Price | 249 € / 1-5 persons 439 € / 6-12 persons The price is for the whole group regardless of the number of persons onboard. Up to 5 persons fit in our smaller (and faster) boat. Groups of 6 or more passengers will be transported with our bigger boat. The maximum group size is 12 persons. Children with the exception of infants count as one person. VAT is included in all prices. |
NB! All visits to the lookout tower at Norrkullalandet is strictly at your own risk. Finnish Gulf Travels can not be held liable for any damage or injury.
Open Sea Experience and Söderskär lighthouse
If you wish to go one step further, we also offer the option of really experiencing the open seas by boat. As our home base, Bodö island, is situated in the outer parts of the Finnish Gulf Archipelago, it’s a short way to the open seas.
Situated approximately 12 nautical miles from mainland (about an hour’s drive depending on the weather conditions), the Söderskär lighthouse is no longer in use in its original function – actually Söderskär was the first and until now only decomissioned lighthouse in Finland – but remains as a historical landmark reminding of times when electronic navigation was not yet an option.
Today the islands that house the lighthouse and its auxiliary buildings are a natural reserve for wildlife and disembarking is strictly controlled and restricted. It is however possible to drive by and see the beautiful surrounding from the boat. We are of course very cautious not to disturb the peace of birds, seals and other wildlife when passing by.
With special permit and booking well ahead in advance a permit for disembarking on the main island is possible for a fee. Moving around on the premises is however very limited and in many cases the visit is just as impressive from onboard the boat.
We organize Open Sea Experience tours including a drive by to Söderskär starting at 349 €. Please contact us for more information!
Sunset cruise and cocktails
We offer the opportunity of an evening cruise to watch the sunset, followed by cocktails at a seaside restaurant. Please contact us for more information!
