//
Island in Pargas, Finland
Photo: Olimar, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Utö is an island far out in the Archipelago Sea, with its lighthouse welcoming ships arriving to south-western Finland from the Baltic Sea. It lacks wood or farmland, the village ducking into the little shelter given by the rocks. The permanent population is a few dozen people.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Guided tours daily in summertime. There is an old chapel in the top floor but no public access to the lantern room.
A small museum telling about life on Utö. The building itself was built in 1753 and it is the oldest remaining building on the island.
Bönehuset
A new chapel was built in 1907–1909 because some of the oldest islanders couldn't climb to the chapel in the lighthouse any more. At the altar there is a chandelier with the names of the ten men lost with Park Victory and thank you letters from the men rescued and the US embassy are framed hung on the wall of the chapel. Service is held once a year, usually on the Midsummer Sunday.
Sand was brought for the graveyard in 1962, earlier the deceased were transported to Jurmo. There is a memorial for those taken by the sea. On the meadow next to the graveyard there is a lonely grave of a German sailor named Buchwald. His body was found on the shore in December 1916.
A monument to the victims of the Draken av Nystad shipwreck. The vessel was lost in a severe storm 12 November 1929. The sailors managed to get to an islet just a hundred metres away, but the villagers' attempts to help them were futile. When the storm ceased, only a few were still alive.
Café
Hotel in former military barracks. Different types of accommodation, mostly double rooms. Restaurant.
B&B. Café. Souvenirs.
The camping site is by the road, next to the weather station. Small site but the terrain is good and the place is quite well sheltered from the winds behind some military constructions. No services. The dry toilets are 430 m away.
Groceries and some hardware. Mail service.
There are ferries from Turku (from the river) and Nagu (Kyrkbacken or Pärnäs, 4–5 hr from the latter), taxi boats available on request, and a pier for visiting yachts:
Read in the guideThe island is small enough to get around by foot: . Private cars are not allowed.
Read in the guideChoose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Turku · International · TKU
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Utö (Finland) and Finland.
Nature & adventureWhere to see the northern lights in 2026 and 2027 during Solar Cycle 25, comparing weather in Tromsø, Abisko, Fairbanks and Iceland.
7 min read
InspirationThe best places to visit in December across sun, snow and culture, comparing Lapland, Chiang Mai, Vienna, Costa Rica and Cape Town.
7 min read
InspirationDiscover 10 rewarding emerging travel destinations for 2027. Escape crowded tourist hubs and explore quiet spots with rich culture and great food.
8 min read
Travel tipsFinland is the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Outside the major cities, driving is usually the most practical way to get around.
Wikivoyage
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.