Self-Guided Sea Kayak Expeditions
[ Archipelago National Park | Includes: Planning Help & On-line Planning Map, Waterproof Maps, Outdoor gear, Sea kayaking gear, Transportation from / to Turku ]
Self-Guided 3-10 Day Archipelago Sea Kayaking
The Finnish Archipelago Sea is among the greatest areas in the world for self-guided multi-day sea kayaking adventures. With its thousands of wild islands perfect for camping, sheltered waters and the Archipelago National Park providing a unique possibility to experience silence and vast areas without encountering people, it is easy to fall in love with this place on earth. With pick-up from Turku, we take your group and the equipment you have chosen to the best starting beach according with the weather and your expedition plans. Your driver, one of our professional sea kayak guides, go through the route with you, provide you with advice and, if you have booked such, do a 3-4 hour Basic Safety Course with you prior to your departyre out into the Archipelago National Park. At the end of your expedition, our guide picks you up at the beach where you have arrived, and take you back to Turku.
In this package, we include:
- On-line planning map and planning help before the expedition;
- quality sea kayaking equipment;
- quality outdoor equipment of your choice (we have tents, sleeping bags, air mattresses, drybags, outdoor kitchens, and much more available and included in the price;
- Aavameri's custom made waterproof maps;
- transportation from Turku to the best launch spot for the weather forecast and group skills;
- our professional guide helps you plan the area and route according with your skill level, the weather forecast and what you are most inclined to be interested in;
We share an on-line planning map to all guests booking our services upon booking. This map includes advice about good camping islands, nice places to visit, stores and places for water refill.
During your trip, we provide land support, such as daily weather forecasts as text messages, advice on route, and the possibility to change the pick-up place and time after the trip. It is possible for you to select cottage accommodation on islands during the trip for one night or many as a supplement, all cottages we provide include a private sauna by the beach.
As supplements:
- Gas bottles 450g, 9€/bottle (approx. 1 bottle per 2,5 days for 2-3 persons needed)
- Basic Safety Course, 3-4 hours, 70€/peson. The course can be arranged as a start of the first day of your expedition. This is a course that we very warmly recommend to anyone who is at all unsure about their skills in one or many of the following: Deep water rescues skills, maneuvering techniques, towing techniques, archipelago navigation and map reading, expedition packing techniques. The course is customized according with your needs.
For safety reasons, Aavameri demands that the group has a ratio of at least one per three persons that have skills in deep water kayak rescues, towing, good maneuvering skills and navigational skills. If you are not completly sure about the skills of your group, we offer a 3 to 4 hour Basic Safety Course as the start of day one before you head out on your expedition.
Example itinerary for 3-10 day Self-Guided Kayaking Expedition in the Archipelago National Park
First day
Pickup at 9am or when most suitable for you from your accommodation in Turku, from the Turku bus or train station or from Turku airport. We bring all the equipment with us, and take you out to a nice beach for the start of your journey, stopping by at a food store if you want to, We go through the map of the archipelago together with you, showing you places worth to visit, good camping islands, shops and water refill places, and have a look at the equipment that Aavameri provides for you. If you have bags and equipment that you do not wish to take along on the trip, we will store these for you and take them with us when we meet at the end of your trip.
Following days
Stay in the more protected inner archipelago or paddle out to the outer, more open archipelago depending on your skill level and the wind conditions. There are new amazing places to explore around each corner. Visit one of the beautifu archipelago villages, take a swim and catch a glimpse of the seals, sea eagles and other fascination archipelago inhabitants in their natural surroundings. Choose your favourite places for camping along your route amongst the thousands of uninhabited islands, or reach your island with cottage accommodation if you have chosen such as a supplement. The area with islands in the Archipelago Sea and Turku archipelago stretches 140 kilometers from east to west and around 70 kilometers from north to south - making it an area perfect for up to week-long or evenmany week long expeditions. The archipelago consists of both islands with forests and often cottages or even small archipelago villages, and further out south barren skerries and wild areas where you rarely meet other living things than the seaa birds, seals and fresh water fish below the sea surface.
Last day
Pickup from the beach where you finnish your expedition is usually arranged so that we get to Turku at 5pm, but the pick-up time is adapted to what you want. We take you back to Turku to the accommodation or other place you decide.
- Our articles about the Archipelago Sea and Archipelago National Park
- Our weather and maps link page
- (links to our online planning map and route suggestions will be provided upon booking)
Photos from self-guided Archipelago Sea National Park kayaking expeditions
Details:
- Location: Archipelago Sea, South-west Finland
- When: May to September
- Duration: 2-14 days
- Skill level: 3 Intermediate
- In order to attend, rescue skills and intermediate kayak handling skills are required. If you are not completely sure about your skills, book a Basic Safety Course as start of day one for your expedition.
- Price includes: Transportation, Sea Kayaking Equipment, Planning help, Waterproof maps, Land support, Outdoor Equipment (tents, kitchens, air mattresses, sleeping bags and more available)
- Price: 268€ / person for three days, +40€/person/day for extra days (minimum price is for two persons)
- What to Bring: Your own outdoor clothes and outdoor gear
