Kökar

Landscape in Kökar as seen by Viktor Westerholm

Kökar is an island in Åland.

Get in

Ålandstrafiken ferries from Långnäs on the main island or from Galtby in Korpo, with road connection to the Finnish mainland. The ferries are free for pedestrians while quite costly for cars (€6/21/34/164 for bike/motorcycle/car/car+caravan in season). For pedestrians bus line 5 from Mariehamn goes to Långnäs.

There are guest harbours at Hellsö (Havspaviljongen; check current status!), Brudhäll and Sandviken, with camping, cottages or hotel (see Sleep below for services not specific to boaters).

  • 🌍 Sandviken marina. 50 berths. Electricity, water, laundry, sauna, Wi-Fi, fuel, sewage water pump. €22. (updated Aug 2017)
  • Brudhäll marina, Karlby

Get around

Easy to hire bikes but no public transport. Taxi is available.

See
Kökar Church

Kökar is one of the few islands in Åland with noticeable contours, showing picturesque cliffs to the east, now set a bit back from the coast. There is a very attractive little church on a separate island that is easily reached on foot from the ferry port by turning east. There are the ruins of an old monastery beside it. As is common in Åland, the belltower is near to but separate from the main church building.

The Kökar Museum, in an old schoolhouse, has on display many of the articles and tools used by the seal hunters. Get a glimpse of life on Kökar from the 1800s to the 1940s. There are several other buildings on the museum grounds open to the public. Among them a display hall with different types of boats, a crofter's cottage and a shed for livestock.

The Church & Franciscan Chapel During the 15th century a Franciscan monastery was founded on Hamnö. This place became a spiritual and cultural centre for the entire archipelago. Today the ruins of the monastery share their site with Kökar's church from 1748. In the chapel beside the church there are archaeological excavations on Hamnö.

Otterböte settlement from the Bronze Age (1800–500 BC). The settlement is believed to have been used by seal hunters in the winter, not by families. The findings include dwelling remnants, a former well, bones and ceramic fragments.

Rock formations on Källskär: Källskärskannan

The small island Källskär, right outside Kökar. For many years, the nobleman Göran Åkerhielm lived on this island. The buildings, the garden and the port that he built are truly creative. Anyone familiar with the Moomin-books recognizes perhaps parts of the houses. Tove Jansson who occasionally came out on visits was inspired from it when she made sketches for the Moomins' house. Also found on the island is one of Åland's most remarkable nature phenomenons, Källskärskannan.

Do

There are trails to and on Kalen, through different vegetation, to prehistoric and military remnants and over rocky hills with nice seascape views.

Buy

Eat
  • Svartbröd, blackbread, as the name implies the bread is almost black. It is round and quite flat but its most characteristic feature is the taste. The blackbread from Kökar is more sweet than the blackbread from the other parts of the islands. Only a few people still knows how to bake the Kökar-blackbread, so you have to ask around where you can buy the bread.

Drink
  • Peders Aplagård, Österbygge is an applefarm. They make different products out of apples like applecake, juice, jelly etc. You can buy direct from the farm or from the foodshops on the island.

Sleep

Cabins and camping:

  • Sandvik (near the ferry harbour), ☎ +358 45-734-29242, e-mail: . Cabins, camping and guest harbour. Grocery store with boating equipment. Bikes, rowing boats and canoes for rent. Use own linen. Advance booking recommended. Cabin €45/75 (2/4 persons), own linen; caravan €19, electricity €3; tent €10 + €3,50/person, children 0–12 free. (updated Aug 2017)
  • Österlund Small Cabins (Österbygge). 

Guesthouse:

  • Anton's Gästhem. Close to the ferry and well located for cliff walks and for the church. No breakfast but some facilities for self-catering. 
  • Klobbar´s Hostelry & Cabins (Hällsö), ☎ +358 18 557-09, fax: +358 18 558-34, e-mail: . Basic hotel, toilets en suite in some rooms. Cabins. Bikes and boats for rent. Sauna. €117 in season; cabin €95/night (min two nights) in season with own linen. 

Hotel:

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