Uto Island

Uto is the southernmost island in Finland with a year-round population, a small rock at the outer edge of the Archipelago Sea where a few dozen people live, and the ferry out takes around five hours through the islands. Its lighthouse dates from 1814, replacing an earlier one destroyed in war, and it is unusual in having a chapel built into the base, so the light and the church occupy the same structure. The island has a pilot station, a former military area now open, a guest harbour and a handful of buildings. There are almost no trees. What people come for is the outer archipelago itself: bare rock, open sea and weather.

What you actually see

• The 1814 lighthouse with a chapel inside - light and church in one building.
• The outer archipelago - bare rock and open sea in every direction.
• The pilot station - the working maritime side of the island.
• A village of a few dozen people - the southernmost inhabited island.

When to go

June to September; ferry sailings are sparse and the season short. Two days, because the ferry timetable does not allow a day trip. Book accommodation before travelling.

Honest expectations

Getting there takes five hours each way and sailings are few, so the timetable dictates everything. Accommodation is very limited and must be booked. Weather can cancel ferries. There is one shop and little else.

Nearby

The Archipelago Sea lies north; Hanko is east across open water.