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Aerial view of the Rödjan homestead on Älgö island: red buildings at the edge of a meadow, with a sheltered bay and wooded islands behind.

Photo: H-E Nyman / Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab), CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab) (cropped).

Rödjan by boat – a fishing homestead and nature trail on the island of Älgö

Rödjan is an old fishing homestead on the south shore of the island of Älgö in Ekenäs Archipelago National Park. The farm serves as the national park's nature hut, and a nature trail of about 2.5 kilometres starts there, with an observation tower along the way. The excursion harbour has two jetties, a camping area, a campfire site and a dry toilet.

Details checked against sources in October 2026.

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

Services on site

  • Guest jetty
  • Toilet
  • Barbecue area
  • Nature trail
  • No water point

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

Why go to Rödjan?

The islands of Ekenäs Archipelago National Park can only be reached by water. Älgö is the largest island in the park and lies on its north-western edge. The island is mostly covered by coniferous forest, and in its interior there are small lakes, such as Storträsket.

Rödjan fishing homestead is on the island's south shore and is open in summer, when sheep also graze in the enclosure in the yard. The exhibition in the farm's nature hut tells the history of the fishing village. The farm was the childhood home of Thorvald Strömberg, canoeing world champion (1950) and Olympic champion (1952).

The nature trail from Rödjan showcases the nature of the inner archipelago. The trail runs through old coniferous forest, past an increasingly overgrown flada (a shallow coastal lagoon) and the lake Storträsket, and along it there is an observation tower with a view over the whole national park. The start of the trail is fairly steep.

Rödjan suits a quiet day in nature that needs no restaurant or shop: bring a packed lunch and enjoy the peace of the national park.

Up-to-date information

Who is this trip for?

The trip suits people interested in nature and archipelago history, families and anyone who wants a short nature trail and a picnic in the national park. The harbour is shallow, so check the rental boat's draught before you set off.

Route to Rödjan

Departure point
Tammisaari departure harbour: information and travel times

Tammisaari → Rödjan (Älgö)

Distance / one way
12 nm
Travel time / one way
approx. 40 min
Fuel / one way
approx. 11 l
Fuel / round trip
approx. 21 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, on a short section around the halfway point and for roughly the last nautical mile before Rödjan harbour, you travel more slowly, and the slower sections are taken into account in the estimated travel time. The harbour is shallow, about 1–2 metres deep, and open to the south-east, so approach the harbour calmly and check the wind forecast.

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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: Rödjan (Älgö)

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Back to the Rödjan route on the home page

Suggested plan for a day in nature

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

  1. 01

    Look at the route and estimated travel time, and check the wind forecast, as the harbour is open to the south-east.

  2. 02

    Pack a lunch and drinking water, as there is no drinking water, shop or café on the island.

  3. 03

    Moor the boat at the excursion harbour's jetty using a buoy or a boom.

  4. 04

    Explore the fishing homestead and walk the nature trail to the observation tower. The nature hut is open in summer, and the service facilities in the farmyard can be used all year round.

  5. 05

    Have a picnic at the campfire site or on the rocks by the shore.

  6. 06

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

Map: Rödjan (Älgö) – paths and roads, the day-trip harbour, the observation tower and the campfire site.
The map shows paths and roads, the day-trip harbour, the observation tower and the campfire site. Access to Verkviken and Verkfladan is prohibited all year round and to the Storträsket area from 1 April to 31 July; the restricted areas are not marked on the map, so follow the signs on site. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), dashed lines and harbour location based on our routes.

Excursion harbour and mooring

Rödjan excursion harbour has two jetties. The jetty for larger boats has six buoys, and the jetty for smaller boats has booms. The depth is about 1–2 metres, so check the rental boat's draught before you set off.

About 200 metres west of Rödjan there are several mooring rings on the rocks that you can also moor to. Mobile phone coverage is poor at Rödjan.

The harbour is open to the south-east, so take the wind direction into account when choosing the day for your trip.

Services and rules

Rödjan has a camping area, a campfire site and a dry toilet. There is no drinking water, shop or café on the island, so bring a packed lunch and drinking water and take your rubbish away with you. Only light fires at the marked campfire site, using the firewood provided there. Lighting fires is prohibited when a wildfire warning is in force, and this includes disposable barbecues. Keep pets on a lead.

There are restrictions on movement in the national park. Access to Verkviken and Verkfladan on Älgö is prohibited all year round, both on the water and on land, and access to the Storträsket area is prohibited from 1 April to 31 July, but you may swim in the bay at the southern end of the lake. In addition, landing is prohibited on some of the park's islands during the bird nesting season. Check the current restrictions on Luontoon.fi before your trip.

Agree on refuelling with the boat owner before you set off.

Islands of Ekenäs Archipelago National Park – Luontoon.fi (opens in a new tab)

Up-to-date information

Remember before you set off

  • A packed lunch and drinking water for the whole day.
  • A rubbish bag so that your rubbish comes back with you.
  • Walking shoes for the nature trail.
  • Check the rental boat's draught and agree on refuelling with the boat owner.

Shall we take a boat trip to Rödjan?

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: Short boat trips