About the Archipelago

Welcome to the archipelago!

The archipelago is made up of over 20,000 islands forming a chain that extends into the sea and stretches for 100 km to the south-west of Turku. It is the largest archipelago in the Baltic sea.

The archipelago is the only one if its kind in the world. The variety and beauty of the wildlife and landscape is astonishing. The rocks appear to be covered in a glaze, polished every minute by the rolling waves, and the tall pines that sway in the sea breeze amaze with their majesty. The animals and plants on the islands are different from those on the mainland. In the spring there are huge flocks of migrating birds; in summer the meadows are covered in wild flowers; in autumn the pikes and other coastal fish delight anglers with their quantity and size.

The tens of thousands of islands and reefs have formed a true paradise for devotees of yachts and launches. Your route will follow that taken by the Vikings who sailed here 1,000 years ago, and the Hanseatic merchants transporting their wares. The Ring Road (Saariston Rengastie) is the easiest way of getting to know the area. It takes you onto the archipelago from the town of Parainen towards the towns of Nauvo and Korpo and thence to the island of Mossala. The road to the archipelago is about 80 km long, with 5 free ferries working round the clock. During the summer months there are additional ferries for paying passengers between the islands of Mossala and Inio. This becomes an important transport artery as it closes the ring of the archipelago road, taking the total length to about 200 km.