A Few Days on the Turku Archipelago
- Kathryn Crowley
- Feb 18
- 5 min read
One of the blog posts that I hadn't finished writing and editing last September was about a lovely few days we spent on the archipelago of islands off the coast of the city of Turku.
Finland has the world’s largest archipelago with, depending on which source you consult, over 80,000 islands off its coastline. Many of them are uninhabited rocky outcrops, but many more are easy to access by car, bike or boat.
Apart from the many islands off of Helsinki, one of the main archipelago trails that attracts Finns and other tourists during the spring and summer months, is the Turku Archipelago Ring Road. We decided to visit in early September when children had already returned to school, the accommodation prices were lower off-peak but, crucially, all of the ferry routes between the islands were still in operation. (This year, some of the ferries stopped operating on the 13th of September and won’t re-start until early May 2026).
The city of Turku is a 2-hour drive to the north-west of Helsinki and the entire archipelago route comprises 250 km, beginning and ending there. Except for one fee-based ferry, all the rest of the trail is free and many people experience it, or parts of it, by using various means of transport – walking, biking, driving, motorcycling or by bus. There is a shorter trail of 120 km and this is what we opted to do. We stayed in a newly-built cabin/apartment in Nagu that we found on Airbnb and it proved to be ideal, both in terms of the accommodation itself and its location as a base for exploring further afield on the archipelago.
As is typical in Finland, even though it was a small cabin/apartment, it still had its own sauna in the bathroom.
Apparently, Nagu marina is one of the busiest in Finland and sometimes 'humorously known as' Finland’s St. Tropez. We definitely did not get that sense in mid-September, but most of the shops and restaurants were open, albeit with shorter opening times than at the height of the season. We spent the few days driving from island to island and stopping to have a walk and a look around at various spots. As you would expect, there were wonderful beaches, harbours, marinas and villages.
What I really like is that in Finland even the smallest beach that you find has basic but well-maintained toilet and changing facilities.
The architecture on the archipelago ranged from really old churches dating from the 1400s to modern eco buildings. Naantali was one of my favourite towns with its sea setting and hundreds of wooden houses, quirky shops and galleries in the old town.
Eco camping/glamping is growing in popularity in the area judging by how many of them we stumbled across.
On our way home we stopped off in the historical beach and spa town of Hanko. The changing rooms on the beaches, wooden huts dotted along the beach area, are very distinctive and have become the town's trademark. I was glad we had taken the time to stop and explore.
It's Seán's long-term ambition to get me to go on a motor-home holiday with him and, to be fair, I agreed to try it out for a few days, though I remain sceptical that we would be two happy camper(vanner)s in such a confined space. We did explore the possibility of hiring a campervan in Helsinki, but the costs were prohibitive, which may or may not have been a pity. In the event, it was much cheaper for us, indeed about half the price, to drive ourselves and to rent the cabin.
While it was very nice to be in the archipelago during the shoulder season when it was quieter (and cheaper), I would really like to re-visit it at the height of the season when all of the activities and events are taking place. I was fascinated when we walked through one forest trail and saw signs, tee boxes and targets for frisbee golf. The course was closed when we visited. I had never heard of such a sport. As I am such a hopeless player of real golf, maybe it should be my new sport.
The posters for yoga on the beach, various farmers' markets and water sports activities leads me to believe the archipelago would make for a great holiday destination in the summer months.
My Writing Life
I'm thrilled to report that I was a runner-up in the recent Ireland's Own short story competition with my story 'Adult Education' and it will be published in a future edition. I also had a memoir piece, Valentines for Boarders, published in its recent Valentine's Day edition.
Also, thanks to my own travels and my friends' efforts and reports, I can now confirm that 'Love, Lycra and Tattoos' is available for sale in a number of independent bookshops around the country. They include Rathfarnham Bookshop, Book Haven in Knocklyon, Kenny's in Galway, Woulfe's Bookshop in Listowel, Dingle Bookshop, Bantry Bookshop, Worm Books in Schull. I would be delighted to hear if it has found its way to other places.
I will also be visiting and talking to a book club here in Dublin in March who have put it on their reading list. I am so looking forward to doing a reading and book signing event in Amsterdam on May 10th. More details to follow. I will also participate in the LitCrawl events at the wonderful Hinterland Festival in Kells in late June. Later this afternoon, I will be chatting to and recording an interview with Teresa Quinn of Bookline for Liffey Sound 96.4FM and other community radio stations. It will be broadcast live on Sunday 1st of March at 11am so be sure to listen in. It will also be on podcast mixcloud.com/liffeysoundfm. It can also be heard on the following community radio services: Athlone, Castlebar, Connemara, Community Radio Youghal, Eden FM Edenderry, Kilkenny City, Kinvara, Near FM Dublin's Northside, Phoenix FM Blanchardstown, Radio Corca Baiscin Kilkee, Ros FM Roscommon, 96FM Ballyfermot.
Promotion of both myself and my book does not come naturally to me or, I suspect, to many authors, and it is the least favourite part of my writing life. However, I believe I have something to say and that many readers will empathise, engage and identify with my characters and stories and they will, hopefully, enjoy the hours they spend getting lost in my book. Many of the reviews that I read on Goodreads and BuytheBook are overwhlmingly positive and this feedback encourages me to keep going.
Which reminds me, throughout the month of February and most especially on February 28th, Ireland Reads Day, people across Ireland are encouraged to get lost in a good book. All the research shows that reading is good for you by reducing your stress, lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. As the old adage says, 'if you don't choose to rest, your body will choose for you.' Ireland Reads is an initiative of the Government of Ireland to celebrate the joy of reading.
My beloved may not have entirely appreciated the card he received from me on Valentine's Day, but he understands when I am lost in a good book, there is no experience like it. I would be honoured if some of you chose to get lost in mine.
Totally forgot about book clubs Kathryn. I'll be recommending Love, Lycra & Tattoos to a couple of my friends in reading clubs. Keep up the lovely stories from your time in Finland.
Loved the photo of Mermaid Sculpture.
Also next time you're in Lancaster, there's Frisbee golf at the local County Park ...
Thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Nagu Archipelago Kathryn, thank you …have put it on my bucket list of Destinations to Visit.