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This is the best value for money bicycle tour you can find in the Åland Islands, allowing you four days to discover the port town of Mariehamn, the archipelago and the most famous sights. Cruise ship tickets to Åland is included from Stockholm, Turku or Grisslehamn.
You will start biking in the port town Mariehamn, where you can learn about maritime history and visit the impressive sailing ship Pommern. From Mariehamn you bike across the largest of the Åland islands and board a ferry with your bikes to the harbour village Degerby to spend the first night in the historic guest house Enigheten, built in the 18th century.
Day two you continue on bike through the Föglö islands and jump on your next ferry, which takes you to the island of Kumlinge in the middle of the archipelago. After crossing lovely Kumlinge you continue through Vårdö to visit the fortress ruins in Bomarsund. After having inspected the ruins and the cannon towers you'll head on to Kastelholm to stay in a bed and breakfast.
On your third day you'll start by visiting the Kastelholm castle, and then head back through Jomala to Mariehamn. On your way is one of the oldest stone churches in Finland. Your last night will be spent in a comfortable hotel room in Town and you have time to sample the restaurants and nightlife of Mariehamn.
After breakfast next morning, there'll still be time for you to visit some sights in Mariehamn or do a day tour to beautiful Järsö before returning your bikes.
With this rate, you will sleep in double rooms every night. For example, if you are a group of four, you will have two double rooms at your disposal. You never have to share rooms with other groups.
With this rate, you will sleep in larger rooms, accommodating three or more guests. You never have to share rooms with other groups.
From Stockholm at 07:45
From Grisslehamn at 10:00
From Kapellskär at 10:15 or 10:45
From Turku at 08:45
From Naantali at 10:30 or 11:15
Departures from Helsinki not included
Accommodation in private rooms at hotels and guest houses. Showers and bathrooms in separate buildings.
Breakfast is included in all accommodations.
Our standard bicycle is a 3-geared 28" bike of the model Helkama Ainotar, made in Finland. Comfortable to ride and with a basket in the front. This model can be upgraded to 7 gears for €30
We also have 24" kid bikes of the model Helkama Jopo, with 3 gears. This classic children's bicycle is the most popular model in Scandinavia.
If you travel with your own bicycle we will give a discount on the price.
Bike panniers with a capacity of 20 litres are included. Your empty bags can be kept when you collect the rental bikes, or stored in safe lockers in the Mariehamn ferry terminal.
Our itinerary is sent to you as a PDF document, specially formatted to be easy to use on any smart phone. The itinerary contains your route description, map links to all important and interesting places, and all ferry departures you need to mind to travel between islands.
We send you a digital travel calendar that you can easily add to your telephone to remind you of important times and places. The calendar works on every model of telephone.
We also send your routes for each day in GPX file format, that can be used with bike computers or offline maps.
Day 1: 29km biking
Day 2: 50km biking
Day 3: 22km biking
Day 4: 24km biking (optional)
Arrival in Stockholm at 18:55
Arrival in Turku at 19:50
Arrival in Grisslehamn at 14:30 or 19:30
Would you like to spend an extra night on any of the islands, or spend a night in Mariehamn before you start biking? Write a request with your booking and we'll take care of it.
We can upgrade your bike to a 7-geared 28" bike of the model Helkama Ainotar, or a 24-geared gentleman's bike.
We have new and comfortable electric bicycles of the Helkama E7 model, with batteries lasting you the entire day.
Your ship departing from Turku in Finland or Stockholm in Sweden arrives in the port town Mariehamn and we will be ready for you by the ferry terminal, where we'll give you your bikes and equipment. Extra lugage can be stored in safe lockers at the terminal. You can also depart by cruise ship from Kapellskär or Naantali, if you have your own bicycles. In that case, you'll arrive in Långnäs instead of Mariehamn and have a shorter distance to bike to Svinö
A short ride from the terminals the tall ship Pommern is moored, next to the Åland Maritime Museum. This four masted, steel-hulled ship has been preserved from the beginning of the 20th century. If you want to start biking straight away you can save the sights in Mariehamn for the last day of the tour instead.
You will head through Mariehamn and continue across the "main" island until you reach the harbour of Svinö. On your way you pass the Lemström canal, built by Russian prisoners. The bridge opens once an hour to let sailing boats pass. If you arrive during the bridge opening you can eat an ice cream while you watch the boats sail past in the channel. From Svinö you travel with your bikes aboard an island ferry to Degerby in Föglö.
In Degerby you can visit the restaurant Seagram, famous among islanders and visitors for their seafood, á la carte. They also serve great pizzas with a very local touch.
The most interesting part of Degerby is the historical tavern and courthouse Enigheten, where you will also spend your first night, in historically decorated rooms. Enigheten was founded as a tavern for sailors in the 17th century, by orders of the Swedish king. They have a lovely beach sauna with a view of the sea.
After waking up with a breakfast buffet in Enigheten you continue on bike throughout the Föglö islands to the ferry pier in Överö. The asphalted road takes you along crop fields, through forests, and along bridges to your goal. There is a hiking trail in Jyddö you can visit on the way. We will book a ferry to pick you up and bring you to Kumlinge.
In the island Kumlinge your route passes several beautiful bays with good chances of seeing swans and other birds. Here you can visit the old church, with chalk murals preserved from the middle ages.
The journey continues through Vårdö and about one hour of biking before reaching what is left of the Russian fortress in Bomarsund. Construction of the mighty stronghold was half completed when it was assaulted by British and French forces in a huge naval battle. The attack succeeded and the victors blew up the entire fortress, leaving mostly rubble and some walls of the structure. You can step off your bikes and walk among the ruins for a while - the most interesting parts are the cannon towers a walk away.
From Bomarsund you continue by bicycle to Kastelholm, where you'll stay in a double room at Kastelholm's Guesthouse. In case they are full, we'll book a room for you at Saltvik Bed & Breakfast a bit further away.
After breakfast you'll bike to the Kastelholm castle – one of the most visited attractions in the Åland Islands. The first castle was built on the grounds in the 14th century and has hosted several Nordic kings, as well as been the prison for king Erik the 16th. The castle has been involved in various political conflicts during the ages and has burnt down several times. There are several small museums nearby the castle, and afterwards you can enjoy a lunch in one of our recommended restaurants nearby before continuing to Mariehamn.
From Kastelholm the country road continues southwards back to Mariehamn. On your way you'll cross a tall bridge and a short tunnel. After the tunnel you can make a stop by "Uffe on the hill" and have a coffee and enjoy the view of the straight from their tall lookout tower.
Along the way you bike through Jomala. If you are interested in history and architecture you should pass by the Jomala church, one of the oldest still preserved stone churches in Finland.
After that you'll soon be back in Mariehamn, where you will check in at the Strandnäs Hotel. The town center is about two kilometers from your hotel, nice to walk or bike around in, with a good selection of restaurants and bars concentrated around the Eastern Harbour.
Breakfast at your hotel. Then an optional excursion through Mariehamn heading south to Järsö. This is one of the most beautiful roads in Åland. Arriving in Järsö you can have a cup of coffee and a snack before returning to Mariehamn to return the bikes. On the way back you can stop by the Åland Art Museum. Remember to sample our famous Åland pancake in some café or restaurant before leaving!
If you've booked your return ship with us, it will depart from Mariehamn in the afternoon and arrive in the evening in Stockholm or Turku. If you're returning to Kapellskär or Naantali, your ship will depart from Långnäs in the afternoon.
