7 Islands to explore in the Åland archipelago
Åland has many interesting excursions at sea to offer. In addition to lighthouses, you can visit old pilot stations, fishing villages, archipelago fishermen’s farms as well as astonishingly beautiful nature reserves.
It’s good to remember that archipelago nature is sensitive, so don’t leave any trash or other traces in the vulnerable environment. In May and June, many sea birds breed on the islands – please don’t disturb them.
Read our tips for 7 exciting island excursions in the Åland archipelago that you can do by your own boat, hiring a taxi boat entrepreneur or by joining a guided tour. We always recommend you to book your trip to the islands in advance.
1. Kobba Klintar, Mariehamn
The Kobba Klintar pilot station is located by the inlet of Mariehamn. Back in the old days, the grand old sailing ships were guided safely from here to the harbour in the maritime town of Mariehamn. The station was closed down in 1972. Today, the island is a popular day trip destination both among ålanders and tourists.
Nowadays, modern ships pass by at really close quarters. The old pilot cabin dating back to 1862 still remains, as does the pilot house from 1910. Here you can enjoy the sea and the fresh sea air and let your eyes rest on the horizon.
In summertime, the Fiskelyckan taxi boat runs here from the Western harbour in Mariehamn.
2. Källskär, Kökar
Källskär is an island on the outskirts of Kökar’s southern archipelago. Here, Baron Göran Åkerhielm created his own sanctuary in the 1960s, with massive stone formations, cultivation areas and statues inspired by the Mediterranean style in the harsh landscape.
The beautiful rocks with their Ice Age formation Källskärskannan (“the jug of Källskär”) also make the island worth a visit. Boat tours are arranged from Kökar.
3. Boxö, Saltvik
On the island of Boxö in the northern Åland archipelago you’ll find ruins of a military battery established before World War I and the largest cave in Åland.
Make a boat trip here with a traditional Åland peasant boat from the guest harbour Marina Hamnsundet, which is located less than a kilometre from Boxö. The short boat trip gives you an opportunity to watch the rich birdlife and enjoy the calm of nature. Who knows, maybe you’ll see a seal put up its nose above the water, too.
The island has several ruins of military buildings. Would you have guessed there has been a short railway here as well? The Rövarberget rock is the highest spot on the island and offers a beautiful seaview over the surrounding islands. Take also a look at the cave Rövarbergsgrottan which is an impressive rock formation. There’s also a wide stone field formed by the ice age on the island which is a part of a nature reserve.
4. Rödhamn, Lemland
The island group Rödhamn consists of the islands Rödö, Gloskär and Långö and is situated ten nautical miles south of Mariehamn. The Åland sailing association ÅSS runs a guest harbour and a café on the island, and you can also book a beach sauna on the spot. The guest harbour is a popular stay among boaters from Åland as well as from Finland, Sweden and other European countries. Quite recently, Rödhamn was appointed Finnish guest harbour of the year.
Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in the guest harbour and visit the radio beacon and its engine house. After it was closed down in 1970, it became a museum. There is also an old pilot cabin, foundations of an old pub and a seafarers’ chapel on the islands around the sheltered harbour.
In summer, the boat taxis Fiskelyckan and Shipland make excursions to Rödhamn from Mariehamn.
5. Björkör, Föglö
Björkör nature reserve is located on the island of Föglö's outermost archipelago in southern Åland. There’s a well-preserved archipelago farmhouse on the island where you can get a glimpse of how life used to be on the small islands.
In summer, you can attend a guided tour at the farm at advertised times or on request. There’s also a nature path and an observation post where you can admire the view that stretches over several kilometres and get a closer look at the island’s rich biodiversity.
For a boat trip out to Björkör, contact Sommarö Gård or Westergårds båtutflykter who both arrange boat excursions.
6. Sältingskär, Föglö
On the island of Sältingskär in the Föglö archipelago in southern Åland, you can visit an old fishing village. It was used for overnighting during fishing in the outer islands and skerries. The cabins were still actively used in the early 20th century, but after motorised boats became more of a standard in the 1920s, the fishing cabins lost some of their importance as shelters in the outer archipelago.
The fishermen’s cottages were also used in the spring during the seabird hunting season. The oldest cottages were built in the late 19th century. You can visit the barren island by your own boat or contact the Shipland boat taxi for a day trip.
7. Signilskär, Hammarland
As far back as the Middle Ages, Signilskär, west of Eckerö, was a natural stop for seafarers crossing the Åland Sea. Not least for the postal route farmers who were obliged to row the post over the sea between Sweden and Åland. Here, on the westernmost islands before the sea crossing, they could rest and wait for better weather.
The island was inhabited from the 1500s to 1935. Today, three houses remain. One of them is used by the bird association Ålands fågelskyddsförening. There’s also a chapel ruin that most likely dates back to the Middle Ages. In summer, you may bump into some Åland sheep pasturing on the island that offers them a lot of grass and a leafy forest in the middle of the island.
Signilskär is included in the nature reserve of Signilskär-Märket which has a rich birdlife and a viable seal population. You can book an excursion to the island with M/S Sefyr which leaves from the Käringsund guest harbour in Eckerö.
