ROUTES

Turku Archipelago – an experience year around

Born 2 billion years ago and shaped by continental glaciers. Explored by the Vikings and Hanseatic Merchants in the 9th century. Turku is the gate to the largest and most beautiful archipelago in the world. Today traditional sources of livelihood are still carried on.

It’s easy to get about in the archipelago. Fine bridges, spacious ferries and splendid vessels link the islands together. This most scenic of roads attracts more and more cyclists in summer and is an easy and enjoyable way to get to know the archipelago. 

8 ferries along the clearly marked 250 km Archipelago Trail route take the cyclist from one island to the next through unique unspoiled countryside. Just follow the brown Archipelago Trail (Saariston Rengastie) signs and you won’t get lost.

THE ISLANDS OF KIMITOSKÄREN BY BICYCLE (Kimito-Dragsfjärd-Västanfjärd) Approx. 140 km

In less than a week you can discover the islands called Kimitoskären by bicycle. If you want to avoid roads with heavy traffic first take a bus from Turku to Sauvo where our route starts. If you want to cycle all the way from Turku you can stay overnight in the Hotel Valtatie 1 in Paimio. To be sure book your accommodation before you leave!

The route has been planned to try to avoid busy main roads and so that it can be cycled at a leisurely pace. When using private roads or cycling through private property please respect the owners’ privacy. Please stay on route marked in this map, as access to some parts has only been made possible with the permission of the landowner! Make sure you never light a fire except where it is allowed. We wish you an enjoyable cycle ride! Enjoy the views!

Day 1 Sauvo – Kimito, Eknäs appr. 23 km

To get to Sauvo take the bus to Kimito from Turku. Finnish buses have space in the luggage hold for several bicycles. On the way it is possible to make a short 6 km detour to visit the church at Karuna. 

When you arrive in the centre of Sauvo turn right along Viljontie and at the next crossroads turn left onto the Kimito-Paimio road. Ride straight across the Turku road onto the Karuna road (Karuna 13). Although it is not in very good condition for the first few kilometres this road is paved and free of hills. Visibility is very good and the views are of typical Finnish countryside. After cycling for 8,6 km turn left at the ‘T’ junction (Karuna 6) and you soon arrive in the village of Rantola in Karuna. You will see a sign on the right hand side for Karuna church 3 km away. A hilly road takes you to this romantic church by the sea. The original wooden church has been transferred to the Seurasaari outdoor museum in Helsinki. The building next to it was a Swedish speaking school between 1893-1925. Today this beautiful building serves as a parish hall.

Returning to Rantola you can enjoy a delicious snack and refreshments in the local restaurant Kuivuri Kievari. There is a shop, bank and local beach in the village if you need to stock up on provisions, withdraw some money or fancy a swim.
After cycling 5 km along Maaluntie you arrive at the main Turku – Kimito road. Turn right when you see the sign Kimito 14 km and Paimio 27 km.

Cycling south for 3 km you will come to the Rungonsalmi bridge on the border of Sauvo and Kimito. Here you will find an information board and map dispenser from where you can get a free map of the Archipelago with contact numbers to the turistservices. Cycle over the bridge and almost immediately turn left (Mjösund 11) Soon you will see a sign for Eknäs campsite (tel. 02 420 061), 600 meters from the main road. Kimito campsite has a lot of pitches for tents, small cottages and of course naturally beautiful surroundings with a beach. The café serves fast food.

Day 2 Ekniemi – Kulla appr. 27 km

The route returns to the main road (no. 181). Turn right after 4 km and ride the 3.4 km to Villkärrvägen. This sand road offers some wonderful views as it undulates and twists its’ way through the countryside. When you get to the end of Villkärvägen turn left and cycle just over a kilometre along Västervikvägen until you come to Norrlångvikvägen. It is an old local road which takes you through traditional farming country. After 2,5 km the road turns left up a steep hill but otherwise it is easy to cycle. 

After 5 km you arrive at a ‘T’ junction. Turn left onto Lövbölevägen and cycle one more kilometre until you arrive back at the main road (181). You now have to cycle approximately 11,2 kilometres along the main road towards Dalsbruk (Dalsbruk 17) until you reach the village of Genböle. At the fork in the road take the road to the right towards Kasnäs. This brings you to Dragsfjärd boarding house (tel. 02 424 553), 100 meters from the main road, which offers meals and overnight accommodation. Other options include Labbnäs Semesterhem (tel. 02 424 637), 1,5 km towards Dalsbruk.

Day 3 Kulla – Kasnäs appr. 34 km

Start the day riding via quiet forest roads and beaches to Söderlångvik manor house and then continue on to the end of Kasnäs point. From now on you mostly cycle along private roads. Remember you are not allowed to light a fire under any circumstances and you are a guest of the landowner.
Your trip continues south through Kärra where you will find a cafe and small supermarket. After 2,5 km of riding along this tarmac road turn right onto ölmosvägen. This rather hilly road will take you the 4,5 km to the lovely local beach at Dragsfjärd where you can enjoy a well-earned rest. 

Söderlångvik manor house has given permission for you to pass their barrier and follow the ölmos Långsidan beach road. This delightful road follows the Gullkrona coastline. After a short ride along Purunpäävägen turn east towards the manor house where you can hike along the culture trail and visit Amos Andersson’s summerhouse (now a museum dedicated to the artist). You can also enjoy the art exhibitions in the café and visit the handcrafts shop. 

Ride south for 2 km towards Kasnäs along Söderlångvikvägen and then turn right onto Kasnäsvägen. Another 5 km will bring you to Svartnäs harbour and the ferry, which runs every 20 minutes. The ride from the ferry to the point is 8 km. You can either stay overnight at the Kasnäs Hotel (tel. 02 521 0100) or at Backas manor house (tel. 02 466 6112) Both offer splendid meals. Don’t forget to visit Blåmusslan nature centre. If you have time you can either take a trip to Bengtskär lighthouse or to Rosala Viking center. The ferry takes you to Högsåra. The road to Svartnäs ferry is a few kilometres before Kasnäs point.

Day 4 Kasnäs – Västanfjärd 30 to 35 km

Kasnäs is the furtherst south you ride on this route before turning back towards Dalsbruk and onwards to Västanfjärd. After 13 km turn right and continue cycling for 4.5 km along Söderlångvikvägen to Dalsbruk.
In “Bruket”, as Dalsbruk is called by local people, leave your bike and take a walk around the historical surroundings. You can also visit Dalsbruk museum and join a guided walk. You will also find restaurants, supermarkets and a good bike/sport shop.

From Dalsbruk cycle along the Hertsböle /Galtarby road. If you have booked accommodation at Bjärkas farm (tel. 02 427 011) cycle to Västanfjärd. Up the hill on the right hand side you will find Bjärkas farm. If you are staying overnight at Labbis farm (tel 02 427 638) in Lammala, you continue cycling 5 km west. You will see a sign for Labbis farm immediately after the crossroads in the town centre. You can also choose to eat at the Nellie´s restaurant. 

Day 5 Västanfjärd – Kemiö 18 to 23 km

From Lammala, Jerikovägen continues north. You pass several interesting limestone quarries as you cycle along the 3,5 km private sand road. In Jeriko turn left and cycle less than a kilometre to östanåvägen and then turn right onto Vidkärrvägen which soon changes into Labbölevägen. Be careful when you ride across private property as there may be children playing!

After 4,7 km turn left and ride approximately 5,5 km to Vestlaxvägen to the main road no.183. Here turn right and ride less than 2 km to the centre of Kimito and then turn onto Arkadiavägen where you will find the Galaxy Hotel with Mac Daniels grill and cafeteria.
From Kimito you can get a bus to Turku and while resting your tired feet on the trip back reminisce about your recent archipelago experience.

THE ARCHIPELAGO TRAIL - a short description for cyclists (approx. 250 km)

From the centre of Turku follow the cycle path towards Helsinki. After Kaarina turn onto Skärgårdsvägen/Saaristotie following signs for Pargas/Parainen and Korpo. Immediately after Kaarina you leave the mainland behind you. Crossing your first bridge you come to Kuusisto where you can take the opportunity to visit the ancient ruins of Kuusisto castle. 

The middle of the impressive Rävsund/Kirjalansalmi suspension bridge marks the border between the cities of Kaarina and Pargas/Parainen. Piles of white limestone rocks act like sea markers leading you on to Pargas/Parainen 27 km from Turku. Arriving in Pargas/Parainen the white sails on the roundabout give you your first real feeling of the archipelago. Pargas/Parainen is a true archipelago town being bordered on all sides by the sea. Turn left at the roundabout and you quickly come to the centre of this busy market town. Pargas/Parainen offers a comprehensive range of services to the visitor and the local tourist information centre will be happy to provide you with all the information you need about the Turku archipelago.

Continuing your journey from Pargas/Parainen, follow the road Skärgårdsvägen/Saaristotie once again. The next bridge you come to is at Sattmark where you will find the popular new Sattmark and Lenholm hiking and nature trails. Further along the road, 17 km from the center of Pargas/Parainen, you come to your first ferry at Lillmälö. These yellow ferries are both free and frequent. It is worth noting that local people and those who work in the archipelago are given priority on ferries. Their vehicles display either green, yellow or white plates. Cyclists however can board the ferries without queuing.

The crossing to Nagu Prostvik takes about 10 minutes and the journey from the ferry to the centre of Nagu is about 10 km and includes two bridges. The bridge spanning Norrströmmen affords especially outstanding views.

The popular guest harbour in the centre of Nagu is just one of the services you will find in this picturesque small town. Don’t forget that Nagu also has the last bank cash dispenser before Kustavi. If you like you can shorten your trip by taking the new ferry from the centre of Nagu to Hanka in Rymättylä (via the island of Själö)
15 km after leaving Nagu you arrive in Pärnäs. The 5 minutes ferry crossing from Pärnäs is free and brings you to Korpo. To avoid the sometimes very heavy traffic choose the Storlandet sand road. Turn right immediately after the centre of Nagu towards Mielis. This is part of the national cycling route.

The road Skärgårdsvägen/Saaristotie continues for 7 km until you come to the Galtby crossroads and the centre of Korpo. Here you will find a popular market in the middle of the village. The Handicrafts shop, pottery and art gallery are all worth visiting. You can also have a game of mini-golf. The views from Rumar viewing tower make the 7 km trip from the town centre worth the effort.

From Galtby take the free ferry and follow the Archipelago Trail to Kittuis on Houtskär. Alternatively you can visit Norrskata, also accessible by ferry from Galtby. Norrskata offers accommodation and meals if you want to stay overnight. From Galtby there are connections to Åland, via Kökar to Långnäs. You will find timetables for these crossings in the brochure entitled Skärgårdstrafiken. Ferries between Korpo and Houtskär are not that regular so check the timetables and make your plans accordingly. Morning and evening ferries are the busiest so why not stay overnight in Korpo or Houtskär?
The complete route through Houtskär is 27 km with the Kivimo and Björkö ferries providing a free service for the short crossings on your ride through.

As well as a wide variety of accommodation options and delicious food Houtskär gives you a real feel for the atmosphere of the archipelago. 

The longest sea crossing is from the island of Mossala to Iniö. The M/S Inimo can carry 190 passengers. You have approximately an hour to enjoy the outstanding natural beauty of the archipelago and enjoy a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. You have to pay for this trip but the Maritime Navigation Administrations’ fares are very reasonable.
If your timetable is very tight, or you are not as fit as you thought, you can take the ferry and daily route from Mossala to Röölä or Haapala in Rymättylä.

In Iniö you arrive in Dalen harbour on Norrby where you will find all the services you need in the small village. The ferry takes you on to the island of Keistiö where there is a shop, guest harbour and cottages to rent. All the villages in the archipelago offer Bed and Breakfast accommodation. From Norrby you take the free ferry to Kannvik harbour on the island of Jumo. The trip through Iniö is 5 km.

The 25 minutes boat journey to Heponiemi harbour in Kustavi is the second fare-paying crossing. Kustavi has many places of interest to the visitor and should not be missed. The sights and shops are clearly marked on the Archipelago Travel Map. Take the Kustavi road and then turn right towards Taivassalo. Alternatively turn left towards Vuosnainen and its’ pretty guest harbour. From here the main island of Åland and its’ capital Mariehamn are accessible via Brändö and Kumlinge. The straight distance from Laupunen to Turku is approximately 83 km.

Once you arrive in the centre of Taivassalo the Archipelago Trail goes in two different directions. One of these takes you by boat from Hakkenpää harbour to Teersalo in Velkua for which there is a small fare. From Velkua you can either take ferries to Palva and Velkuanmaa or continue on to Askainen and the historic castle of Louhisaari. From Askainen you can continue on to Merimasku and Rymättylä both of which are a must for the visitor. From Rymättylä you ride on, via the pretty harbour town of Naantali, back to Turku.

Now you have completed the whole 250 km Archipelago Trail. As you can see this route description is very short and we have not mentioned all the sights, shops, restaurants or accommodation options. We recommend you allow enough time to spend a few days and nights on the route in order to give yourself just a tiny taste of the most beautiful archipelago in the world. Remember, you can travel The Archipelago Trail in both directions.

Order your free copy of the Archipelago Travel Map from the Archipelago Travel Information Centre, tel 02 4585 942 or by email: turistinfo@parnet.fi For more information see www.finlandarchipelago.org