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Large boulders in shallow water at the shore of Äggskär in the Pellinki archipelago, with a wooded island in the background.

Photo: Tappinen / Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab).

Pellinki by boat – an archipelago café and summer market at Sandholmsudden

Pellinki is a village and a group of islands in the Porvoo archipelago. At Sandholmsudden in Pellinki there is a City of Porvoo guest harbour, with Benitas Café right next to it. You can also refuel and take a sauna at the harbour, and on Saturdays in summer there is a summer market next to the harbour.

Details checked against sources in October 2026.

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

Services on site

  • Guest jetty
  • Fuel
  • Electricity
  • Drinking water
  • Toilet
  • Shower
  • Sauna
  • Restaurant
  • Café
  • Shop
  • Barbecue area
  • Swimming beach
  • Laundry
  • Septic emptying
  • Waste disposal

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

Why go to Pellinki?

Pellinki is a village and a small group of islands in the Porvoo archipelago, about 30 kilometres from the centre of Porvoo. The main islands are linked by bridges, and a ferry takes you to the mainland. Settlement on the main islands is thought to date back to between 1000 and 1250, and the earliest written record of the archipelago dates from 1411. There are about 260 year-round residents, and most of them are Swedish-speaking.

Pellinki is also known as Tove Jansson's archipelago. The Jansson family rented a summer house in Pellinki as early as the 1920s, and the Pellinki archipelago is said to have inspired the Moomin stories. Pellinki still has an outhouse where the teenage Tove drew pictures on the wall, and one of them is a Snork figure that resembles a Moomin.

Later, Jansson and her partner Tuulikki Pietilä spent about 30 summers on Klovharu, a small rocky islet off Pellinki. Landing on Klovharu is allowed only during Klovharu week, which is held in July.

On the island of Glosholmen in the Pellinki archipelago stood a lighthouse completed in 1835, Finland's fourth lit lighthouse. The location proved a poor choice, and in 1863 the lighthouse was converted into an unlit daymark. Its tower with a pointed roof has been regarded as the model for Moominhouse. The tower was blown up on 14 March 1940 so that it would not guide enemy bombers, even though the Winter War had already ended the previous day: news of the peace had not yet reached the island. The lower part of the tower, about five metres high, still remains.

Up-to-date information

Who is this trip for?

The trip suits groups who want a stopover where a café, fuel and a sauna are all in the same place, and fans of Tove Jansson and the Moomins. From Porvoo, Pellinki makes a good day trip. From Helsinki the journey is longer, so set aside a full day for the trip.

Route to Pellinki

Departure point
Porvoo departure harbour: information and travel times

Porvoo → Pellinki

Distance / one way
15 nm
Travel time / one way
approx. 1 h 05 min
Fuel / one way
approx. 13 l
Fuel / round trip
approx. 27 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.

There are routes to Pellinki from both the Porvoo guest harbour and Tervasaari in Helsinki. From Porvoo you first go slowly down the Porvoo River, and from Helsinki there is a section at a lower speed at the start of the route off Helsinki. On both routes, speeds are also lower at the end as you approach the harbour at Sandholmsudden, and the slower sections are included in the estimated travel time. In the guest harbour you moor to a buoy or with an anchor, so check before you set off that the boat has the necessary mooring equipment.

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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: Pellinki

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Back to the Pellinki route on the home page

Suggested plan for a stopover day

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

  1. 01

    Choose a departure point, Porvoo or Tervasaari in Helsinki, and look at its route and estimated travel time.

  2. 02

    Check the opening hours of Benitas Café and the summer market, and book the sauna at the café in advance if you would like a sauna.

  3. 03

    Moor the boat in the Sandholmsudden guest harbour to a buoy or with an anchor, and follow the harbour rules.

  4. 04

    Have a lunch or coffee break at Benitas Café, and visit the summer market on Saturdays.

  5. 05

    Visit the harbour's viewpoint or the sauna before you head back.

  6. 06

    Refuel the boat if needed in the way agreed with the owner, and start the return trip in good time, taking into account the weather and the boat's return time.

Map: Pellinki – paths and roads, the guest harbour and the sauna.
The map shows paths and roads, the guest harbour and the sauna. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), dashed lines and harbour location based on our routes.

Sandholmsudden guest harbour

Sandholmsudden guest harbour is one of the City of Porvoo's two guest harbours, and you can reach it both by car and by boat.

There are about 15 guest berths, and at the jetty you moor to a buoy or with an anchor. Day visits at the jetty are free of charge for the time being. Under the harbour rules, you must let the café or the fuel station know when you leave. Check the current instructions and fees on the City of Porvoo's website.

There are only a few berths, so on busy days be prepared to moor with an anchor and allow time for mooring.

Harbour fees, services and refuelling

Benitas Café is right next to the harbour. It is a genuine archipelago café licensed to serve alcohol, and it also has a small shop selling everyday groceries. Check the opening hours before you set off.

Next to the café there is a summer market on Saturdays in summer. Check the market dates before you set off.

The harbour has fuel sales, drinking water, septic tank pump-out, a laundry room, a mixed waste bin, a viewpoint and a barbecue shelter. Barbecuing and making fires ashore are allowed only at the designated places.

At Benitas Café you can book a sauna for hire that fits 5–8 people and has a shower room. Check the sauna's price and availability with the café.

Agree on refuelling and the fuel grade with the boat's owner before you set off.

Pellinki guest harbour Sandholmsudden – City of Porvoo (opens in a new tab)

Up-to-date information

Remember before you set off

  • Check the opening hours of the café and the summer market, and book the sauna in advance.
  • Make sure the boat has the equipment needed for mooring to a buoy and anchoring.
  • Swimwear and a towel if you plan to have a sauna.
  • Agree on refuelling with the boat's owner before you set off.

Shall we head to Pellinki by boat?

Rental boats in the Porvoo–Loviisa area and the Helsinki region are listed on Friilo. Agree on the boat's pick-up and refuelling with the boat's owner.

See rental boats on Friilo (Helsinki region) (opens in a new tab)See rental boats on Friilo (Porvoo–Loviisa) (opens in a new tab)

See also

Similar destinations by theme: Harbours with saunas · Restaurant harbours