Kemiönsaari (Kimitoön)
Kemiönsaari is a large, mainly Swedish-speaking island reached by bridge, and has the most of our cottages in this region. Cottages sit on rocky shores and inlets with saunas by the water. From Kasnäs, at the southern tip, tour boats run in summer to the Bengtskär lighthouse, about an hour out, and to the Archipelago National Park. Rosala has a Viking centre. Turku is around an hour and a quarter from Kemiö, and Helsinki airport around two hours.
Best for: Families and couples who want sea views, rocks and archipelago boat trips
Not for you if: You want sandy beaches: the shores here are mostly smooth rock and reeds.
Salo, Somero and the farmland (with Loimaa, Pöytyä and Oripää)
Salo is a market town between Helsinki and Turku, and Teijo National Park, on its southern edge, has forest lakes, marked trails and the restored ironworks village of Mathildedal by the sea. Somero, to the north, is a lake and farming area with small lake beaches and quiet roads for cycling. Loimaa, Pöytyä and Oripää are open farmland with fewer lakes. Helsinki is around an hour and a quarter from Salo.
Best for: Families who want lake swimming, forest walks and an easy drive from Helsinki
Not for you if: You want the sea on your doorstep: Somero and the farmland are well inland.
Pori and the Satakunta coast (Luvia, Eurajoki, Rauma, Ulvila)
Pori has Yyteri, a sandy beach about six kilometres long with big dunes, around 20 minutes from the centre. Pori Jazz fills the town each July. Rauma, an hour south, has Old Rauma, a UNESCO-listed wooden town with cafés and craft shops, and the Bronze Age cairns at Sammallahdenmäki nearby. Luvia and Eurajoki are coastal villages between the two. Helsinki is about three hours by car and Turku under two.
Best for: Beach families and anyone after a summer festival
Not for you if: You want the archipelago scenery of the south: this coast is flatter and more open.
Parainen and Sauvo (the inner archipelago)
Parainen, largely Swedish-speaking, is joined to the mainland by bridges and sits on the Archipelago Trail, a road loop from Turku through the islands that uses free road ferries to Nauvo, Korppoo and beyond. Parainen town has a huge limestone quarry with a viewing platform. Sauvo is a quiet mainland parish of fields and sea bays to the east. Turku is around 30 to 45 minutes away.
Best for: Drivers who want to island-hop on free road ferries
Not for you if: You want to avoid ferries: island trips beyond Parainen mean queues in July.
Naantali, Turku, Masku, Lieto, Taivassalo and Kustavi
Naantali has an old wooden town around its harbour and Moomin World, open in summer on an island reached by footbridge. Turku, Finland's oldest city, has a medieval castle and cathedral, riverside restaurants and overnight ferries to Stockholm. Masku and Lieto are on its edge. Taivassalo and Kustavi, about an hour north-west, are quieter archipelago parishes where bridges and short ferries link the islands.
Best for: Families who want Moomin World and city days with a cottage base
Not for you if: You want lots of choice: we have only a few cottages in each place.
Inland Satakunta (Jämijärvi, Lavia, Kankaanpää, Säkylä, Eura, Kokemäki)
Jämijärvi has the most cottages inland, on its lake below the long Hämeenkangas ridge, a sandy, pine-covered esker with walking and ski trails. Lavia, Kankaanpää, Siikainen and Karvia are thinly populated forest and lake country further north. To the south, Säkylä and Eura share Pyhäjärvi, a big, shallow lake with sandy shores. Kokemäki is on the river that runs down to Pori. Shops can be a long drive.
Best for: Walkers and anglers who want forest lakes and few neighbours
Not for you if: You want the sea: the coast is around an hour from most of these cottages.
