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A sailing boat at the Elisaari jetty on a calm autumn day, with rock, reeds and pine forest on the shore.

Photo: Jukka (Flickr: jukk_a) / Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab) (cropped).

Elisaari by boat – oak forest and a harbour day at Barösund

Elisaari (Älgsjölandet) is an island in the Inkoo archipelago near Barösund, and its outdoor recreation area with the guest harbour is owned by the City of Helsinki. In addition to the guest harbour's 94 buoy berths, the island has a café, saunas, barbecue shelters and a nature trail that runs through one of Finland's largest natural oak forests.

Details checked against sources in October 2026.

See rental boats on Friilo (opens in a new tab)See the route to Elisaari

Services on site

  • Guest jetty
  • Electricity
  • Drinking water
  • Toilet
  • Shower
  • Sauna
  • Café
  • Barbecue area
  • Nature trail
  • Waste disposal
  • No fuel

Many services are only open in the summer season, so check opening hours on the destination's website.

Why go to Elisaari?

In the interior of the island, about half a kilometre from the shore, is the Mellangård farm, whose history goes back to the 16th century. The farm's yellow neo-Renaissance main building was built in 1902, and it now houses the island's bakery.

Elisaari is known for its nature. A large part of the island is a nature reserve, and it is home to one of Finland's largest natural oak forests. Sheep and cows graze around the harbour and the manor in summer, and white-tailed deer and elk also live on the island.

The island has a signposted nature trail of about 2.5 kilometres that runs through the oak forest. The island's café is known for its legendary doughnuts. The café also serves as the harbour office, and small concerts are held there during the holiday season.

Elisaari suits a day that combines a boat trip, a nature trail, a barbecue and coffee. The guest harbour in Barösund village, with its services, is a short boat ride away.

Up-to-date information

Who is this trip for?

The trip suits families, nature lovers and groups of friends who want to spend the whole day on the island walking, barbecuing and enjoying the sauna.

Route to Elisaari

Departure point
Tammisaari departure harbour: information and travel times

Tammisaari → Elisaari

Distance / one way
24 nm
Travel time / one way
approx. 1 h 25 min
Fuel / one way
approx. 22 l
Fuel / round trip
approx. 43 l

Travel times are calculated at a cruising speed of 25 knots and include the slower sections of the route. The fuel estimate is based on a consumption of 0.9 l/nm. Actual consumption depends on the boat, the weather, load and driving style.

At the start of the route off Ekenäs, around the halfway point and at the end in the Barösund strait, you travel more slowly, and the slower sections are taken into account in the estimated travel time. Under a decision made by Traficom in 2025, there is a 10 km/h speed limit in the central part of Barösund and in Ramsjösund between Elisaari and Orslandet, and creating wash is prohibited in both straits. Also watch out for the ferry traffic in the strait.

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Travel times are estimates without stops and depend on the conditions. The round-trip fuel estimate assumes you return the same way. Also allow time for the destination itself.

Wind forecast: Elisaari

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Back to the Elisaari route on the home page

Suggested plan for an island day

This is a flexible idea for a self-guided day trip to Elisaari.

  1. 01

    Look at the route and estimated travel time, and check that the outdoor recreation area and the harbour are open: the season runs from the beginning of May to the end of September.

  2. 02

    Check the café's opening hours and book a sauna slot if you like.

  3. 03

    Moor the boat in the guest harbour according to the harbour's instructions and pay the harbour fee.

  4. 04

    Walk the signposted nature trail through the oak forest and go and see the grazing sheep and cows.

  5. 05

    Visit the café or grill your own food at a barbecue shelter.

  6. 06

    Start the return trip in good time, taking into account the weather and the boat's return time.

Map of the harbour area on Elisaari: the guest harbour, the signposted nature trail highlighted, the campsite, the barbecue shelters and the route from Ekenäs.
The signposted nature trail (highlighted) starts near the harbour and runs through the oak forest. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), dashed line and harbour location based on our route.

Guest harbour

Elisaari guest harbour has 94 buoy berths, which cannot be booked in advance, and anchoring in the harbour is prohibited. The fairway is about two metres deep, so check the rental boat's draught. The island's services are close to the harbour.

The outdoor recreation area and the guest harbour are open from the beginning of May to the end of September. Check the exact dates of the season and the harbour fees on Elisaari's website.

There is a speed limit and a ban on creating wash in the Barösund and Ramsjösund straits, so approach the harbour calmly.

Harbour fees, services and refuelling

Elisaari has a café that also serves as the harbour office, electricity at the guest harbour, a drinking water point, toilets and showers, four bookable saunas, two of which are by the shore, four barbecue shelters, a villa for rent and a campsite. You can also rent rowing boats, canoes and SUP boards on the island. Check the season's opening hours, sauna times and harbour fees on Elisaari's website.

A large part of the island is a nature reserve. Follow the signs in the area, stay on the marked paths and barbecue at the barbecue shelters.

Fuel is sold at the Barösund village shop, but agree on refuelling with the boat owner before you set off.

Elisaari outdoor recreation area and guest harbour (opens in a new tab)

Up-to-date information

Accommodation and overnight stays on Elisaari

On Elisaari you can rent the six-bed Tammisto villa in the middle of the oak forest, and there is a campsite for tents and hammocks near the harbour. Check the accommodation options and bookings on Elisaari's website.

Moor the boat for the night according to the harbour's instructions.

Elisaari – services and accommodation (opens in a new tab)

Remember before you set off

  • Check that the outdoor recreation area is open, as well as the café's opening hours and the sauna times.
  • Walking shoes for the nature trail.
  • Food for the barbecue if you plan to grill at a barbecue shelter.
  • Agree on refuelling with the boat owner before you set off.

Shall we take a boat trip to Elisaari?

Rental boats in West Uusimaa are listed on Friilo. Agree on the boat's pickup and refuelling with the boat owner.

See rental boats on Friilo (opens in a new tab)

See also

Similar destinations by theme: Harbours with saunas · For families with children