Åland Archipelago Trail - Southern route
What can you experience along the southern section of the Åland Archipelago Trail? This is where you can find inspiration and tips as to what to do and where to go in Föglö, Sottunga and Kökar.
Degerby, Föglö
The first stretch on the southern route goes from Svinö harbour in Lumparland on Åland’s main island to Degerby in the island of Föglö.
In Degerby, there’s a shop, eateries, a minigolf course and attractions like the old Pilot’s Cabin and Föglö museum (both open during the summer) near the ferry harbour. During the summer you’ll be able to visit a marketplace which takes place every week around the harbour. You can spend the night at guesthouse Enigheten a stone’s throw away from the village center or at Carlsro hotel, also located in Degerby. Restaurant Seagram welcomes guests a short walk from the ferry harbour.
From Degerby the Åland Archipelago Trail winds on through the idyllic archipelago countryside to the ferry harbour in Överö, a distance of approximately 18 kilometers. From Överö the road carries on by ferry to the next island, Sottunga.
Sottunga
Did you know Sottunga is Finland’s smallest municipality and has barely 100 inhabitants? The attractions include the 17th-century wooden church that burned down in the Greater Wrath, but which was rebuilt starting in 1728. In the summer Sottunga comes into its own with exhibitions and sales of local arts and crafts in the Hembygdsgården, and the archipelago restaurant Salteriet by the ferry harbour is a popular choice of eatery. You can stay in the Sottunga holiday village.
Kökar
Kökar is a dear destination for many. In Kökar’s largest village Karlby you can find the hotel and restaurant Brudhäll in the guest harbour and a shop only a stone’s throw away. In addition to Hotel Brudhäll you can spend the night at Antons Gästhem guesthouse, where you can meet Åland-sheep if you’re lucky. Sandvik camping is situated a couple of kilometres from Karlby, and there you can camp in a tent or rent a cottage.
Kökar has a fascinating history. In Hamnö, northern Kökar, you can visit the ruins of a 15th-century Franciscan monastery and the lovely St. Anne’s Church. Otterböte, one of the most interesting Bronze Age settlements in the northern Baltic Sea, is also located in Kökar. There are boat trips to Källskär, a fascinating excursion, as well.
In Kökar you can also visit the Kökar museum and Peders Aplagård apple farm, where the café sells apple cider and other goodies during summer.
From Kökar to the Finnish mainland
From Kökar the ferry continues towards Galtby in Korppoo, from where the trail goes on to the Finnish mainland. The ferry route is operated by Åland’s archipelago ferries. You can find the ferry timetables on Ålandstrafiken’s website and book your spot on the ferries through the website’s booking system.
