Hanko by boat – a harbour day in the spa town

Hanko began as a winter harbour: from the tip of the Hanko Peninsula you could still get out to sea when other harbours were frozen. The harbour and the railway were completed in 1873, and the town was founded in 1874. Its reputation as a summer town came from the spa founded in 1879. The Kylpyläpuisto villa district was built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for wealthy spa guests, and most of the villas are richly decorated wooden buildings in the classicist or neo-Renaissance style. The most striking villas are along Bulevardi.

From 1880 to 1930, Hanko was the port of departure for Finnish emigrants. About 250,000 emigrants left via Hanko for the United States, Canada and Australia.

Under the Moscow Peace Treaty of March 1940, the Hanko Peninsula was leased to the Soviet Union as a naval base for 30 years, and the last Soviet soldiers left Hanko on 2 December 1941. The town's landmarks, the church and the water tower, stand on Vartiovuori hill. The old water tower was blown up in 1941, and the explosion also damaged the church. The current water tower was completed in 1943, and the church was repaired in the early 1950s.

From the Eastern Harbour it is a short walk both to the Kylpyläpuisto villas and to the town centre. Hanko suits a day when you want to combine a boat trip, a walk around town and good food.

The trip suits groups who want a day in town with restaurants and cafés, people interested in history and architecture, and anyone who appreciates well-equipped harbour services.

The Eastern Harbour has about 360 berths, of which about 220 are guest berths. The guest harbour is run by HSF Marine.

Of the guest berths, 31 can be booked in advance online, and the harbour has 120 metres of jetty for mooring alongside. Anchoring in the harbour is prohibited.

HSF Marine Café operates in the harbour, and its terrace is one of the most popular in town. There are also other restaurants on the Eastern Harbour waterfront, such as Stranden Bar & Kitchen, which has lunch, an à la carte menu, a café and a terrace.

The harbour fee includes the berth, toilet, shower and sauna, electricity and water, wireless internet, waste management, septic tank emptying and a laundry. Check the current prices, including any price for a day visit, and the sauna times with HSF Marine.

There are St1 stations off the Eastern Harbour at Itämeren Portti and in Hangonkylä harbour. Agree on refuelling and the fuel grade with the boat owner, and check the station's details before you set off.

From the harbour it is a short walk to the shops, restaurants and other services in the centre of Hanko. Check the restaurants' opening hours before you set off.

Hanko has plenty of accommodation. In the centre by the sea there is, for example, the Regatta SPA Hotel, and you can soak up the spa town atmosphere at the renovated Villa Maija, built in 1888. See more options on Visit Hanko's website.

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