Åland Archipelago Trail - Northern route
What awaits along the northern route of the Åland Archipelago Trail? This is where you can find inspiration and tips as to what is on offer on the islands of Brändö, Lappo, Kumlinge and Vårdö.
Please note that if you travel by Ålandstrafiken archipelago ferries with a vehicle, such as a bike or car, you need to buy your ticket in advance.
You can buy your ticket on the Ålandstrafiken website or at the Ålandstrafiken office in Mariehamn.
Brändö
The north-eastern section of the Åland Archipelago Trail starts in Kustavi in Finland, from where the archipelago ferry goes to Åva on the island of Brändö in Åland.
From Åva, the Åland Archipelago Trail goes through the municipality of Brändö to the ferry harbour at Torsholma, a distance of 21 kilometres. Around the middle of it you’ll find the archipelago hotel and restaurant Gullvivan. Other accommodations are the lovely Brändö Bike & Bed, and the cozy Fisketorpet & Fågelvik camping and cottages located on the island of Korsö.
While in Brändö, You may wish to stop at the beautiful white wooden Chapel of St. James with a rich history.
An alternative way to Torsholma ferry harbour is to take a small ferry from Houtskär on the Finnish mainland. The ferry is mostly for bicycles but it has a few spots for cars as well.
Jurmo
From Brändö you can make a detour to Jurmo, a lovely archipelago island that has a shop, café and restaurant that are all open in the summer. The hostel in the old primary school is open all year round. Outdoor activities like fishing and seal safaris are available on request. You may also find some highland cattle cows browse on the island, helping to keep the landscape open.
Lappo
From Torsholma ferry harbour the archipelago trail goes on to the island of Lappo. In the summer, you can visit the Archipelago Museum which has the most complete collection of traditional Scandinavian boats in the Baltic Sea. There is also a hiking trail and a frisbee golf course on the island.
All year round you can stay at Pellas Guesthouse, which is located near the Galeasen summer restaurant and the guest harbour with a child-friendly beach and an outdoor gym.
If you need a moment for yourself, stroll uphill to the tiny cabin built for enjoying tranquillity and a lovely seaview despite the weather.
Kumlinge
Continue your journey along the archipelago ferry to the island of Kumlinge, where you can visit St Anne’s stone church and admire the impressive frescoes that cover the walls and vaults.
At the guest harbour you’ll find the summer restaurant Kastören, and you can stay at the Svala design hotel. In the summer, you can also make a detour to Kumlinge’s neighbouring island Bärö, where you can get a delicious meal or maybe spend the night at Glada Laxen.
If you love hiking, there's a nature trail called Kumlinge-åttan.
Seglinge
Before you leave Kumlinge you might want to make a detour to the neighbouring island of Seglinge, where only 25 persons live all year round. There’s a beautiful and quite challenging nature trail on the island that offers a varying archipelago nature with cliffs, woods, sandy bays and a geological rarity: Giant’s kettles. There’s also a little shop and a guest harbour on the island.
Enklinge
From Kumlinge the archipelago ferry goes on to Enklinge. There we recommend a visit to the Hermas farm museum, an archipelago farmhouse dating back to the 16th century. Hermas is open in the summer.
Vårdö
Next, the archipelago ferry goes from Enklinge to the island of Vårdö. Here you’ll find a beautiful church and several interesting museums to visit, such as Åland’s School Museum and Lasse Eriksson’s ship museum, both open in the summer.
Sandösund Resort & Camping offers accommodation all year round. You can play minigolf or hire a kayak or a floating sauna here as well.
While in Vårdö, cycle north along the Sandövägen road and you’ll experience something unexpected. Here, the road ends in the middle of the sea. Either turn back and enjoy the scenery, or continue the detour trip to the island of Simskäla with a small ferry.
On your way back you can stay for dinner at Kallas skärgård, a lovely family driven restaurant with a garden that welcomes visitors during summer.
The distance between Vårdö’s northern ferry harbour in Hummelvik and the cable ferry in Töftö, that takes you further to Prästö in Sund, is 11 kilometres. It’s where the next section of the Åland archipelago trail, the one in the Åland main island, begins.
> Read about the Åland archipelago trail on the main island of Åland
