Photo: © Helsinki Partners / Maija Astikainen.
Pihlajasaari by boat – a beach day off Helsinki
Pihlajasaari is a popular outdoor recreation island in Helsinki with sandy beaches, rocks, a nature trail and two saunas for hire. The guest harbour is on the north side of the island, and day visits are free of charge for boaters.
Details checked against sources in October 2026.
Services on site
- Guest jetty
- Electricity
- Drinking water
- Toilet
- Shower
- Sauna
- Restaurant
- Café
- Barbecue area
- Swimming beach
- Nature trail
- 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 Pihlajasaari?
Pihlajasaari consists of two islands, Western and Eastern Pihlajasaari, which are connected by a footbridge. Together the islands cover about 26 hectares, and they are a City of Helsinki outdoor recreation area.
Pihlajasaari is an old villa island: in the late 19th century, Western Pihlajasaari was divided into leased villa plots, and most of the villas built at that time still stand. Villa Hällebo, which the architect F. A. Sjöström had built in the 1880s, now houses Restaurant Pihlajasaari. During the First World War, light fortifications were built on the islands. In 1929, the islands were opened to the public as a recreation area, and sand from the seabed was brought to the beaches.
The nature trail runs on both islands, and its stops are marked on the ground with numbered posts. The section on the western island is about 1.8 kilometres long and the one on the eastern island about a kilometre. Along the trail, you learn about the islands' nature and history, such as the old fortifications and the plants growing on them.
Pihlajasaari has about 60,000 visitors a year. The City of Helsinki has drawn up a development plan for the island, which will be implemented in stages from 2027. The aim is to improve the services while preserving the island's nature and tranquillity.
Up-to-date information
- Pihlajasaari – City of Helsinki (opens in a new tab)
- Services for boaters – City of Helsinki (opens in a new tab)
- Pihlajasaari to be developed while preserving its natural values – City of Helsinki (opens in a new tab)
- Restaurant Pihlajasaari (opens in a new tab)
- About the island – Restaurant Pihlajasaari (opens in a new tab)
Who is this trip for?
The trip suits families with children, swimmers and anyone who wants to spend a day at the beach without a long boat ride. If you book a sauna slot, you can make a whole day of it in the archipelago.
Route to Pihlajasaari
Tervasaari → Pihlajasaari
- Distance / one way
- 5 nm
- Travel time / one way
- approx. 25 min
- Fuel / one way
- approx. 4 l
- Fuel / round trip
- approx. 9 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.
The route goes around the north and west sides of Suomenlinna to Pihlajasaari. There are speed limits off Helsinki, and the estimated travel time takes them into account. In summer, a waterbus also runs to Pihlajasaari, so keep an eye on other traffic, especially near the island.
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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: Pihlajasaari
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Suggested plan for a beach day
This is a flexible idea for a self-guided day trip to Pihlajasaari.
- 01
Book a rental boat on Friilo and arrange the pick-up and refuelling with the boat's owner. If you want to have a sauna, book a sauna slot in good time.
- 02
Look at the route and the estimated travel time.
- 03
Moor the boat at a boom or buoy berth in the guest harbour on the north side of the island.
- 04
Choose a beach and enjoy a swim, or walk the nature trail on both islands.
- 05
Eat at the restaurant, the beach bar or the kiosk, or have a picnic break at one of the cooking shelters.
- 06
Start the return trip in good time, taking into account the weather and the boat's return time.
Guest harbour on the north side of the island
Pihlajasaari's guest harbour is on the north side of the island. The harbour has 24 boom berths and 21 buoy berths as well as a septic tank pump-out. Apart from the guest jetty, there are no other safe landing places on the island. The harbour's and the island's services are available in the summer season: the water points, showers and septic station close at the beginning of October, and in winter there is no electricity, running water or waste management on the island.
No harbour fee is charged for day visitors, and you can moor your boat at Pihlajasaari for a short time free of charge. At the city's short-stay berths you can keep your boat for two to four hours, so if you are planning a longer beach day, check the up-to-date terms and any fees on the City of Helsinki website.
Saunas, restaurant and beaches
The island has two saunas for hire: the small wood-heated beach sauna on the south shore, which takes up to seven people, and the electrically heated Aalto sauna on Eastern Pihlajasaari, which takes up to six. The saunas are booked through the City of Helsinki's Varaamo service, and the season's slots open for booking in spring.
Restaurant Pihlajasaari is housed in the old Villa Hällebo, the Rantabaari beach bar is on the swimming beach and there is a kiosk in the boat harbour. They are open in the summer season, so check the opening hours before you set off.
It is easy to take a dip from the sandy beaches, but there is no lifeguard on the swimming beach. The island has three cooking shelters with firewood and drinking water points. There is a fee-paying camping area on the eastern island; check its terms on the city's website.
Dogs may be walked on the island on a lead, but not on the swimming beaches or at the playgrounds.
Remember before you set off
- Arrange the boat pick-up and refuelling with the boat's owner.
- Book a sauna on Varaamo in good time if you would like one.
- Swimwear, a towel and sun protection.
- A packed lunch, something to drink and a rubbish bag.
Shall we head out on a boat trip to Pihlajasaari?
Rental boats in the Helsinki region are listed on Friilo. Arrange the boat pick-up and refuelling with the boat's owner.
See also
- Kaunissaari (Sipoo)Plan a boat day to Kaunissaari in Sipoo from Tervasaari in Helsinki. Route, travel time and tips for the harbour, the restaurant, the saunas and the nature trail.Read the trip guide
- PentalaPlan a boat day to Pentala from Tervasaari in Helsinki. Route, travel time and tips for the museum jetty, the archipelago museum and the nature trail.Read the trip guide
- SuomenlinnaPlan a boat day to Suomenlinna from Tervasaari in Helsinki. Route, travel time and tips for the guest harbour, the museums and a walk around the fortress.Read the trip guide
Similar destinations by theme: Harbours with saunas · Restaurant harbours · For families with children · Short boat trips