Top 10 Islands In Finland

1. Kimito

Kimito is located in the Western Province of Finland and is in the southwest corner of the country. The island is relatively small, with a population of just over 3,000 people spread out over the entire island. Though there aren’t many residents, this place sees a lot of traffic in the summer months, as the island is host to a pretty big international music festival. Held every July, Kimito Island Music Festival brings in artists from Finland and abroad to play music and entertain locals and tourists.

Kimito

Website: Kimito

2. Partalansaari

Partalansaari is surrounded by some of the largest river basins in the country, and there are over 80 lakes and ponds on the island itself. The island has only about 300 permanent residents, but due to the many rivers and lakes found around here, the destination becomes a pretty popular summer tourist location. The island is also cemented in Finnish pop culture as it has been featured in a children’s book titled “On the Paths of Partalansaari”.

3. Kotisaari

Kotisaari is a small little island in the Lapland region of Finland and is just a short distance away from the south of the arctic circle. The island is near the town of Rovaniemi, which is said to be the official residence of Santa Claus. Kotisaari is really small, and no one really lives here, but despite the lack of population, this place gets quite busy. In the 1800s the island was used by lumberjacks, but in the 1980s, the facilities went from lumberjack use to tourism use. Now there’s a tavern and restaurant here for people looking to taste some traditional Laplander cuisine.

Kotisaari

Website: Kotisaari

4. Replot

Replot faces the northern part of the Baltic sea and is an interesting little island in Finland. For one thing, most of the inhabitants here speak Swedish as their primary language. Sitting at 150 square kilometers (58 square miles), Replot is one of the largest islands in the country. Despite this fact, the island’s population is just over 2,000 people, and many can trace their lineage back to the 11th century or even earlier. As the island has been continuously inhabited for hundreds of years, the archipelago that makes up Replot is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island is very picturesque, with many people vacationing here during the summer months to get away from the cities and do a little fishing - a popular pastime in Replot.

Replot

Website: Replot

5. Jussarö

The most popular aspect of Jussarö is the iconic lighthouse that sits on the island. The need for the lighthouse is an interesting one, as the island was once home to one of the largest iron ore deposits in Finland. Nearby boats cruising along the water would have navigation systems malfunction because of it, so a lighthouse was built and the iron was mined. The island was mined until the 1960s, with prisoners contributing most of the workforce to the mine. Afterward, the island was abandoned. Today, Jussarö is known as Finland’s only ghost town, with some visitors coming by to explore abandoned houses and buildings.

Jussarö

Website: Jussarö

6. Vallisaari

Located near the capital of Helsinki, Vallisaari is now an island where people come to hang out, immerse themselves in nature, and get away from the city for a while. The island is designated as a park and is open to the public, but it does have an interesting history and past. Fortifications were built here by the Russians during the war in 1808. After Finland gained independence in 1917, its army stored munitions here until 2008. By 2016, it was finally opened to the public once everything was cleared and now it is a fascinating tourist destination. The island also has a lot of natural abnormalities and is home to rare insects, bats and a host of flora native to Russia, which were brought over from their time occupying the island.

Vallisaari

Website: Vallisaari

7. Jurmo

Located in an archipelago off of the town of Turku, the island of Jurmo is one that has been around since at least the 1800s, with a church and a bird observatory located here that was built during the mid-1800s. The island itself is said to have formed during the ice age and consists mostly of rock. The island is fairly small, with a population of under 100 people. Fishing is the most common job here, so during the summer months, vacationers come here to relax by the water in their summer cottages and do a little fishing themselves.

Jurmo

Website: Jurmo

8. Storlandet

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Storlandet is the main island in the Pargas municipality. The island is pretty small, covering about 72 square kilometers (28 square miles). The population of the area is about 1,000 people, with very few residing on the island of Storlandet in the first place. Most of the people that do live here live in relative remoteness. Despite its location, the area has always been popular with fishermen, and it serves as a harbor for incoming and outgoing boats.

9. Oravisalo

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

The population of Oravisalo is about 250 people, but the history of the island goes pretty far back. This place is known as one of the largest freshwater areas in Finland and has been continuously visited by sailors. Since the area is in the eastern part of the country and is pretty remote, most of the residents only speak Finnish.

10. Virmaila

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Virmaila is not home to any permanent residents, but it is a national park and a pretty popular destination in the summer months. The island is accessible by bridge and, in the summer, by boat. The makeup of the island consists of three small ponds, and it also sits on Lake Päijänne.

Explore Finland's islands

Finland has thousands of little islands scattered throughout its territory, some of which are more remote than others. But for nature lovers out there who are looking for their next adventure out in the wild, there are plenty of amazing and beautiful Finnish islands to discover.