Villas in Kymenlaakso Etelä-Karjala

Kouvola and Iitti suit forest lakes near Repovesi, Kotka has the sea, and Lappeenranta and Ruokolahti sit on the south shore of Saimaa. Most cottages come with a sauna and a jetty. The eastern half runs up to the Russian border, which is closed, and the drive from Helsinki airport is two to three and a half hours.

Where

Villas: 57
From, per week: £406
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Fly to Helsinki, about three hours from London. Drive times are around an hour and a quarter to Kotka, an hour and three quarters to Kouvola, two and a half hours to Lappeenranta and three and a half to Parikkala. Lappeenranta has a small airport with a few European routes, but no flights from the UK.

Where to stay in Kymenlaakso Etelä-Karjala

Kouvola, Valkeala and Jaala (Repovesi)

This is where most of our cottages in the region are. Repovesi National Park, on the old Valkeala side of Kouvola, has rocky gorges, lakes and the Lapinsalmi suspension bridge, and you can hire canoes at the edge of the park. Verla, near Jaala, is an old wooden board mill on the UNESCO list with a summer museum. Helsinki airport is around an hour and three quarters by car.

Best for: Hikers and paddlers who want a national park within half an hour

Not for you if: You want open lake views: much of this area is forest with small, enclosed lakes.

Iitti (Kymi river and lakes)

Iitti moved into Kymenlaakso from Päijät-Häme in 2021, and it is the western edge of the region. The old church village has wooden houses and a summer cafe or two, and cottages are spread around small lakes and the upper Kymi river. Kausala has the shops and a station. Helsinki airport is roughly an hour and a half away, and Lahti is about 40 minutes.

Best for: Families who want a short drive from Helsinki and lake swimming

Not for you if: You want somewhere remote: main roads and the rail line run close by.

Kotka and Pyhtää (the coast)

Kotka is a working port with the Vellamo maritime centre and, just north of town, Langinkoski, the riverside fishing lodge built for Tsar Alexander III. In summer, boats run from Kotka out to the islands of the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park. Pyhtää, to the west, is quieter, and Kaunissaari, an island with a fishing village and a beach, is reached by summer boat. Helsinki airport is around an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half.

Best for: Sea views, island boat trips and a town with museums

Not for you if: You came for a lake: this is the brackish Gulf of Finland, cool and shallow.

Lappeenranta, Savitaipale and Lemi (south Saimaa)

Lappeenranta sits on the southern tip of Saimaa, Finland's largest lake, with a harbour, summer lake cruises and the old fortress quarter above the water. Savitaipale, around 40 minutes west, has cottages on Kuolimo and the Saimaa shore, including at Heituinlahti. Lemi is known for its lamb dish, slow-cooked in birch troughs. Shops in the villages are small, so stock up in Lappeenranta.

Best for: Lake swimming and boating on Saimaa with a city nearby

Not for you if: You want the short Helsinki transfer: allow two and a half hours each way.

Imatra and Ruokolahti (eastern Saimaa)

Ruokolahti has long stretches of Saimaa shoreline and islands, with cottages well spaced along gravel roads. Imatra, next door, has the Imatrankoski rapids, where the dam gates are opened for shows on set dates, and the turreted State Hotel beside them. Lappeenranta is around 40 minutes away. From Helsinki airport, allow about three hours.

Best for: Couples and fishing parties who want big water and quiet roads

Not for you if: You want to cross into Russia: the border is closed and there are no crossings.

Parikkala and Rautjärvi (far east)

Parikkala has the Siikalahti wetland, a well-known reedy bay for spring birdwatching, with towers and boardwalks. The village is also home to a strange sculpture park of hundreds of concrete figures made by one local man. Rautjärvi, to the south, is forest, lakes and the Simpele village. Trains from Helsinki stop at Parikkala, but by car it is three and a half hours.

Best for: Birdwatchers and anyone who wants real distance from other people

Not for you if: You want restaurants and shops: villages here have a supermarket and little else.

When to go to Kymenlaakso Etelä-Karjala

Summer is the season, from Midsummer in late June to mid-August, when the lakes are warm enough to swim and lake boats and summer cafes are open. Finns take their own holidays in July, so book early. Mosquitoes are worst in June and early July. September brings autumn colour, berries and empty roads, but many summer cruises and island boats stop at the end of August. Winters are dark and cold, and snow this far south comes and goes.