Not exactly Swedish, but not entirely Finnish either, the autonomous Åland Islands, a rocky chain of some 6500 skerries and islands spread across Finland’s Archipelago Sea, are a unique Nordic cycling destination. Scraped flat by enormous glaciers during the last Ice Age, the islands of Åland – and the nearby Turku Archipelago – are a cyclist’s dream, laced with empty roads, coastal vistas, and tiny, brightly coloured seaside villages.
Starting in Turku, Finland’s oldest city, the route snakes westward through the southernmost islands of the Turku Archipelago before traveling via ferry to Åland. Turku, the most important city in Finland’s long history, is the gateway to the Archipelago Sea, and, in our opinion, the perfect starting point to explore the region’s islands.
Of Åland’s many islands, your route circumnavigates Fasta Åland, the largest and most populous, home to the largest city, Mariehamn, and the hulking Russian fortress of Bomarsund. Hopping on and off several small bike ferries, the route weaves around the coast, finishing back in Mariehamn where your trip ends. This charming maritime city has myriad options for further exploration of the Baltics, with direct flights and ferries to Stockholm, Helsinki, Riga and Tallinn.