The western region can offer the tourist a variety of landscapes, from Pargas, the capital of the archipelago, to the most distant islands in the chain. The region is extensice, and so there is a wide choice of attractions and services available. Places of interest include Finland's largest working, 100 metre deep opencast limestone quarry in Pargas; the former leper hospital os Seili in Nagu, with its rather gruesome history; the rocky island of Jurmo, which is famed for its smoked flounder; Finland's oldest lighthouse, located in Utö, in the outer archipelago; the waterfront sheds of Björkö, as well as the view from Borgberget in Houtskär and the church and village of Iniö.

In the 1870's, a number of battles of the Crimean War were also fought in this region. Visitors' marinas, restaurants, summer cafés, hotels, cottages for rent, and village shops are waiting to serve you. Fishing enthusiasts will find the area a paradise.

The communities differ considerably from each other with respect to occupational structure. Pargas is characterised by industry and the service trade, Nagu, Korpo, Houtskär and Iniö by farming, fishing and fishfarming, the service trade and small-scale industry. All the communities of the area, with the exception of Houtskär, which is Swedish speaking, are bilingual communities, where the majority of inhabitants speak Swedish as their mother tongue. The State of Finland is an important employer in the archipelago, as many people are employed by the army and the local ferry and boat services.

Allthough the region is extensive, the larger islands are easily accessible by ferry. The smaller islands are served by boat taxis, or you can use your own boat.

South of Korpo and Nagu begins the extensive Archipelago National Park. The flora and fauna in the Park is both diverse and unique. Wooded meadows, found particularly on Boskär in the west and on Yxskär in the east, as well as terminal moraine and glaciated rock formed by the ice age, are typical examples of the archipelago's landscape.