Kaunissaari, Uusimaa, Finland

4Solja V 5:00 PM Jul 12, 2017

Beautiful views of the archipelago and longer trails through the island
Finnish archipelago is my personal nature favorite in Finland, and I have made it a hobby to visit the islands near Helsinki. Kaunissaari is a beautiful island, accessible by a boat from Vuosaari harbour in eastern Helsinki. What I found most appealing about this island in particular, was the extent of trails to walk and explore the island. This island is bigger than most of the islands that I have visited and as the island has been bought/rented by the city of Helsinki for recreational use in the late 50s, the trails are easier to walk than those of a less visited island. Many people come by private boats and many people seem to live here in bigger tents the whole summer. There are more services (say shower, toilets, sauna for rent) than on smaller islands. There is a restaurant on the island, and I can recommend their chicken & haloumi cheese salad. It took some time before I got it served but it was good - and there is no rush when enjoying the great weather in the archipelago! The boat trip cost 20 euros for a return (adult). I fully enjoyed my day here and can easily recommend it.

4scandi_paris 5:00 PM Sep 3, 2018

Camping in Helsinki on a gorgeous island with sauna and cafe
For travellers craving for an authentic Finnish experience without having to hire a car, you couldn't do better than go camping in Kaunissaari. In 2018, it was 15 euros per night per tent and, as the other reviewers have mentioned, NorsöLine's boat to the island leaves from Vuosaari marina. There's also a wooden two-person pod "puuteltta" available near the cafe for free overnight stay (I think you contact the cafe and it can't be booked in advance). So if you're lucky, you can even camp without your own tent, as long as you have sleeping bags (and mozzie netting maybe). Puuteltta is an A frame with a steep roof and only wooden slats at the ends, so private it is not but looked like a fun place to stay. For us, the walks, the smooth rocks by the shore and the spacious, newly-refurbished public sauna with views across the sea were the highlights of the trip. Kids loved to swim and play in the natural environment. A visit to Finland's only mobile shop in a ship was another source of excitement, and with fresh produce to boot! The shop boat "Christina" visits the island on Tuesdays and Saturdays (in 2018). Helsinki locals can hire a permanent site for the season for 300 euros (price in 2018), though according to one local it has become less popular in recent years due to less predictable weather and also many campers are now elderly and their children may not want to continue the tradition. When we boarded the boat we noticed groups of noisy men with crates of beer but they vanished when we arrived on the island and didn't bother us. Instead, we met some of the local families and seniors in the sauna (separate times for men and women) and around the wood-burning stove in the BBQ shelter. They had lots of helpful tips for us visitors and were genuinely friendly and welcoming. Be prepared for basic conditions: cold beach showers, dry toilets, washing dishes by an outdoor tap, aforementioned wood-burning stoves (logs and a large axe are provided, use dry sticks from forest floor for kindling, as advised by one of the permanent campers) and no electricity, so bring extra batteries for mobile phones. However, no need to bring your own drinking water as there's a pipe from the mainland and taps by each BBQ shelter. We only stopped by the cafe to have a cider on the sunny terrace and later to have coffees. However, it was nice to know it was there, in case it had been raining. Please note: in late summer the island was infested by wasps. After a while we got used to them but it was very annoying and both adults and kids were stung - luckily we are not allergic. But anyway, an excellent camping experience.