10 Sustainable Activities
Experience Åland in a more sustainable way. There are plenty of activities that are kind to the environment, and many of them are free. We have listed ten of our favourite activities to give you inspiration!
1. Disc Golf
Challenge your friends in disc golf on the versatile courses all around the Åland archipelago. In Åland, a group of enthusiasts decided to build a disc golf course in every of the 16 Åland municipalities. The project has come a long way as there are now 13 disc golf parks throughout the Åland Islands. The only equipment you need is one or a couple of discs, which you can buy in sports stores or borrow at the Åland Tourist Information. The disc golf courses are open all year round, seven days a week, so you can play whenever you like. In addition, playing is free of charge.
2. Cycling
When you cycle along Åland’s red roads, you have the time to really enjoy the beautiful landscape. In spring, you’ll be passing fields of flowering wood anemones and apple tree orchards. In summer, along verges full of lilac wood cranesbill and bright, cheerful daisies. In autumn, you can enjoy the vibrant yellow, red and orange hues of deciduous trees. Want to rejuvenate after a cycling trip? Cool down with a dip in the sea!
3. Birdwatching
Åland’s location in the middle of the Baltic Sea makes it a natural gathering spot for many species of birds. The lighthouse island of Lågskär south of Mariehamn gets sightings of over 200 species per year! Take your binoculars with you and visit, for example, the bird observation tower in the Herröskatan nature reserve in Lemland or the tower at Torpfjärden in Jomala. The white-tailed sea eagle – a magnificent bird of prey – is a symbol of Åland. It was an endangered species in the 1960s, but the population has recovered. Today, you are likely to see one when you are out on the islands.
4. Hiking
In total, there are 40 long-distance hiking trails and nature trails in Åland. The hiking trails are between 10 and 60 kilometres long, and the nature trails between one and eight kilometres. St Olav Waterway also goes through Åland and is the first pilgrim’s route to run through an archipelago. Put on some comfortable shoes and fill up your water bottle and head to the scenic archipelago!
5. Experiencing Culture
Why not visit a museum? Both the Åland Museum and the Åland Maritime Museum in Mariehamn are working towards sustainable goals. The Åland Museum has an exhibition of cultural history and the Åland Maritime Museum, as the name suggests, enables you to learn more about Åland’s proud maritime history. If you prefer the outdoors, you’ll find a lot to see out in the countryside. Make an excursion to the grand Eckerö Post and Customs house, the Bomarsund fortress, and the medieval Kastelholm castle with the nearby Jan Karlsgården Open-Air Museum.
6. Angling
Experience total relaxation with a fishing rod in your hand. Enjoy the archipelago while experiencing excitement when the fish are biting! In Åland, good fisheries management is taken to be a prerequisite for a good angling experience.
The Ålanders want to have fish stocks that are robust and healthy, so there are several ongoing restocking projects at the same time as large numbers of juvenile fish are bred every year. In order to protect individual fish that are essential for restoring stocks and to counteract overfishing, there are regulations as to how many fish may be kept and their minimum size. ‘Catch and release’ fishing is common, where the use of hooks without barbs are used so as to avoid hurting the fish.
7. Vintage and Second-hand Shopping
Why buy new when there’s a generous supply of recycled items? There are plenty of flea markets and second-hand shops in Åland. For example, Emmaus has a shop in the centre of Mariehamn and another in Godby. Here, you can buy clothes, books, china and much more. Are you looking for interior furnishings and fittings to make your home personal and unique? In that case, you should head to the recycle centre Bygg- och Möbelreturen in the northern Mariehamn. There are also many craftsmen in Åland focusing on recycling. For example, have a look at brands like Labelled Fashion and Recycling, Oktober and The Little BBQ’s Junk Art at Viktor Crafts & Design in Mariehamn.
8. Choose Local Tastes
By choosing Åland produced food and products you support both the local producers and the environment. A lot of the food produced in Åland is organic.
You can find organic dairy, grain, vegetables and fruit as well as delicacies made from them. A person who prefers Åland food is called axgan, a name derived from the Åland domain ax. Overall, it’s easy to track the origin of the food in Åland and the chefs in local restaurants value local ingredients highly in their cooking.
9. Climbing & Bouldering
There are plenty of observation towers and hiking trails on Åland. You can visit places like the Getabergen, Sålis Batteri, or Långbergen with Orrdalsklint, the highest spot on Åland.
The most stunning observation tower can be found by the Färjsundet Straits in Finström: climb up it and look out over the rural landscape. Åland is also a popular destination for people who enjoy bouldering, climbing up large rocks. Suitable bouldering rocks can be found, for example, in Getabergen.
10. Sailing and Paddling
With the wind as your engine, you can wend your way quietly and with a minimum impact on the sea. The Åland archipelago has beautiful coves and thousands of islands. You can escape the crowds and may often have a whole bay to yourself. A network of sustainable guest harbors welcome boaters all around the Åland archipelago. Their service is of high standard. You can empty your toilet tank in many of them – emptying of toilet tanks has been prohibited in Åland and Finnish waters since 2005. Read more about sailing and boat life in Åland.
Paddling a kayak lets you experience the archipelago in a whole new way. Glide along shallow inlets or on the open sea. Expert guides can tailor tours specifically for you based on your knowledge and paddling experience. There are paddling courses available, as well. In addition to different types of kayaks and canoes, you can also paddle SUP boards.
