Please note that the tips below are valid for summer season 2023. We will update the list closer to summer 2024.
Visit a historic island
Pack a towel, some sunscreen and a hat and hop aboard one of the water buses or ferries. You can board the boat at the Market Square and reach your destination, Suomenlinna Sea Fortress Island, which offers its visitors both fascinating history and exciting tunnels to explore. You can easily spend the entire day on the island. Check out the water buses and ferries here.
Paddle all summer long
Slide your kayak into the water and enjoy. The best waters for paddling in the city can be found in East Helsinki. The Vuosaari Paddling Center operated by Natura Viva offers tours and courses that are easy to book online. You can begin with a two-hour tour that is ideal for beginners, teaching you the basic skills and paddling slowly. Many other tours are also available, including overnight adventures. If you like to kayak often, you can even purchase a season card. Read more about paddling here.
Vuosaari Paddling Center, Harbonkatu 13
Take to the water in a city boat
The sharing economy has arrived at the pier. You no longer need to own your own boat; instead you can borrow a Skipperi city boat using a mobile app whenever you feel like taking to the water and from seven different piers in Helsinki. The monthly fee includes everything you need for boating: life jackets, initial guidance and insurance. All you have to do is fill up the tank for the next user. You can also use one of ten rowing boats that are available in Töölönlahti, Vuosaari and Munkkiniemi for a season fee. You can reserve a boat using the Skipperi mobile app, and season cards are valid also in other Finnish cities. If you want to row just once, you can borrow a rowing boat from Hakuna Matata by the Töölönlahti bay. Find more rowing tips here.
Learn to sail
Have you always dreamed of sailing with the wind? Now is the time to begin. The Baltic Cruising sailing school offers courses for beginners and experienced yachtsmen alike. Courses include for example harbour maneuvering and sail handling. You can also join evening sailings to practice or simply enjoy the scenery.
Go SUP boarding from a beach
Helsinki has 12 supervised swimming beaches where lifeguards are on duty from early June until mid-August. You can rent SUP boards from many beaches in Helsinki and start practicing your body control. Laguuni Water Sports Centre at Mustikkamaa offers both boards and tours. Beginners always receive good instruction, and Mustikkamaa is an easy place to try out a SUP board for the first time. Your self-confidence will continue to build, so by the end you may even try a few yoga positions. Mustikkamaa also offers great places for adventures if you are already more experienced with a SUP board.
Laguuni Water Sports Centre, Mustikkamaa
Spend a night on an island
Want to spend a night by the sea? The most popular recreational islands are served by regular ferry connections – check out this article for more info! The island of Pihlajasaari is the most popular summer island among locals and is easily recognisable by its colourful changing huts. Once the day trippers have boarded the last ferry back to the mainland, the campers can enjoy the silence. The island of Vallisaari in turn is popular among nature and art lovers. An exciting alternative to traditional camping is a Tentsile tree tent, inside of which you can experience the white nights in the archipelago. For something really different, try a night inside an old tower transformer on the island of Kuninkaansaari that now provides accommodation for up to four persons.
Check out the new watersports centre at Hietsu
The Laguuni Water Sports Centre at the popular Hietaranta beach (Hietsu) opens 10th of June. It is possible to rent a SUP board or kayak and paddle all the way around the island of Seurasaari, for example. For even more excitement, you can also try wakeboarding. Instead of being pulled along by a motorboat, a cable accelerates you across the water. Experienced wakeboarders can even hit the floating ramps and do flips. If you already know how to snowboard, wakeboarding should be pretty easy to learn. Beginners should take a course to start with.
Laguuni Water Sports Centre, Hietaniemen ranta
Meet up with friends at Katajanokka
The district of Katajanokka next to the Market Square is home to Helsinki’s renewed guest harbour. MarinaBay is a popular meeting place not only for boaters, but also for residents of Katajanokka and other locals. Check out the flowerpots along the waterfront that have been painted by neighbours. The area offers a wide range of entertainment with great restaurants. You can rent a boat or bicycle, swim at Allas Sea Pool or even enjoy a massage.
MarinaBay, Kanavaranta 4
Explore the island district of Lauttasaari
The island district of Lauttasaari has been named residential district of the year in 2020 and is home to locals who love the sea. You can explore the island starting from Vattuniemi and enter the forest paths where the buildings end. Stop at the Paseo café or take a dip in the sea. Along the way you can admire the almost 500 miniature summer cottages that offer just 12 square metres of living space! Kids will love the Kasinonranta playground, while grownups can relax at the Lauttasaaren paviljonki café-restaurant. On chilly days you can even warm up around the fire. The smooth rocks at Länsiulapanniemi are another great place to take a dip.
Paseo, Itälahdenkatu 1a
Lauttasaaren paviljonki, Kuikkarinne 1
Enjoy a picnic at Kallvik
The swimming beach at Kallvikinniemi is one of the shallowest and most sheltered in Helsinki, so the water warms up quickly. You can wade out for many metres, but the water can get deep very quickly after the sandy section, so keep an eye on your kids. On summer weekends, Kallahdenniemi is transformed into a fragrant summer kitchen by families and groups of friends. The public grills are quickly taken, so many people bring their own. Music and smells blend together for the perfect summer atmosphere. The summer evenings are bright and clear. This is picnicking at its best.