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The sky was a soft shade of grey, creating a mild atmosphere for the day. A gentle breeze blew off the Baltic Sea, lightly brushing against the tops of the pine trees. As I attentively listened, I discovered how satisfying the sound of the dry needles and crunchy cones under my feet was.
“My preferred way to begin nature hikes is in silence, allowing us to connect instantly with our surroundings,” my local nature guide, Simo Peri, said as he tied his shoulder-length blonde hair. He carried a bag filled with supplies for our half-day adventure, which I would soon discover.
“It’s easy to get caught up in chatting or taking pictures and not notice what’s happening around us,” he explained. “Seals also have incredible hearing, and I hope we’ll be able to spot some.”
I found myself in the overlooked Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, a peaceful region in southeastern Finland that tourists often bypass in favor of the western archipelago. I had just embarked on an invigorating 45-minute RIB water taxi ride across the dark Baltic Sea from Sapokka harbor in Kotka. This port city, two hours east of Helsinki, serves as the entryway to Finland’s southeast. I had arrived at the otherworldly uninhabited island of Ulko-Tammio, located 10km from the Russian border and covered mostly by forests, with only the shoreline exposed.
Ulko-Tammio island. Photo: Annika Ruohonen / Visit Kotka-Hamina
It has been named the country’s first “phone-free” island, as part of an initiative to encourage visitors to put away their phones and experience the island with all their senses. With 100 islands and islets in the Eastern Gulf, Ulko-Tammio stands out for its unspoiled beauty. According to Simo, no one has ever lived here, giving it a unique atmosphere. “It has only been used as a fishermen’s camp and a pasture for people from other islands, like nearby Tammio. It’s also a great place for hiking, a habitat for rare birds, and you can freely pick berries and edible mushrooms, camp out, and light fires,” he explained.
Eventually, we emerged from the forest onto massive slabs of grey-red granite, gently caressed by the Baltic Sea. It felt as though I had landed on another planet or traveled back in time to a prehistoric era on Earth. There was no one else in sight. “We call this rapakivi,” Simo pronounced with a pleasing Finnish roll of the letter ‘r.’ What a fantastic word, I thought, as he bent down and lightly tapped the ground with his hiking shoe-clad foot.
I followed suit, taking in the breathtaking beauty of this billion-year-old geology, the bedrock of Ulko-Tammio. “Here,” he said, handing me a delicate blade that resembled grass. “I believe you call these chives?” Indeed, it tasted just like a chive. Its discovery completely distracted me from the fact that we had yet to spot a seal, and ironically, I hadn’t touched my phone since arriving.
“They know better than to stay on rocks and catch a cold,” Simo explained. “They’re probably out diving for fish somewhere, keeping warm.”
My introduction to Finland’s tranquil eastern archipelago began in a glass cabin at the Santalahti Resort in Kotka the previous night. Along with exploring the resort’s hiking trails, I spent hours at the captivating Maritime Centre Vellamo in town, learning about the region’s close relationship with water, weather, and icebreakers. These massive ships clear the shipping lanes during winter, showcasing Finland’s rich shipbuilding tradition.
I indulged in local cuisine on Varissaari, also known as “restaurant island,” home to the Vaakku Summer Restaurant, a short ferry ride from Kotka harbor. Afterwards, I experienced a traditional Finnish sundowner session in Santalahti’s picturesque outdoor glass sauna before taking a quick dip in the Baltic Sea.
Ulko-Tammio Island
In the heart of Ulko-Tammio, away from the shoreline, the island’s interior felt mysterious and otherworldly. The air was cool and moist, and the forest floor was covered in a glistening carpet of elkhorn and reindeer lichen. To my surprise, I also discovered wild strawberries, my favorite fruit. They were much smaller and delicate than I had imagined, tiny ruby-hued gems. Instinctively, I reached for my phone, but just as quickly stopped myself. Instead, I focused on savoring the unique earthy-sweet flavor and juicy texture.
In contrast to Ulko-Tammio’s untouched innocence, remnants of the Second World War, such as cannons, gun emplacements, and ammunition stores, served as haunting reminders of the island’s role as a guard post on Finland’s eastern border. There was even a 70-meter-long cave constructed to protect personnel, which we walked through in near darkness to reach the other side.
Towards the end of our hike, we reached the top of the wooden bird-watching tower, the highest point on the island. As the sun emerged in full force, we enjoyed a 360-degree view of the island and, on clear days, the distant Russian islands of Bolshoi Tyuters, Gogland, and Sommer, located just 10km away. A stroll past a traditional red hut with beds and a kitchen, available for overnight stays, marked the end of our nature walk.
“You can’t be unhappy if you have marshmallows,” Simo said while setting up lunch, pulling out snacks and cooking equipment: two Bialetti coffee pots, two gas cookers, sausages, cups, and plates. He quickly prepared a fire, serving us grilled sausages topped with Sinappi, hot Finnish mustard, squeezed from a metal tube.
“I used to be a chef in Helsinki,” he told me while carving points onto two sticks with a large knife from his leather case. “One day, I realized I wanted to step away from the high-pressure environment. We were cooking amazing food and receiving great reviews, but I knew I wanted a change. So, I started exploring ways to work more in nature, and here I am.”
He abruptly stopped talking, impaling a chunky marshmallow onto the end of a carved stick and holding it over the crackling fire.
My final night was spent on Kaunissaari, an inhabited island dotted with traditional red Finnish cottages and home to only one hotel, Hotelli Maja, open during the summer months. The island is renowned for its generous bowls of salmon soup. I sampled a steaming pot of the delicate clear broth filled with fresh fish chunks and flavored with aromatic dill at the hotel’s restaurant and was not disappointed. It was the perfect meal after biking through the Kaunissaari forest to the island’s northern lighthouse.
Surprisingly, after my experience on Ulko-Tammio, I didn’t feel the need to take a photo of the idyllic scene before me. Instead, I paused, took a deep breath, and absorbed the moment without the barrier of a screen.
Well done, Finland.
How to do it:
– Finnair offers flights from Dublin Airport to Helsinki.
– The Santa Glass Villa at the Santalahti Resort starts at €550 per night for two people, including breakfast and activities.
– Rooms at Kaunissaaren Hotelli Maja start at €149 for two people.
– For guided adventure nature walks around Ulko-Tammio and other areas of southeastern Finland with Simo Peri, visit retkipiste.com.
– Ellie Seymour was a guest of Visit Finland and Visit Kotka-Hamina.
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