Yyteri Beach

Yyteri runs for about six kilometres along the Gulf of Bothnia west of Pori, a wide shallow sand beach backed by the largest dune system in Finland, with marram grass, pine and juniper holding the sand and boardwalks laid across the fragile sections. The water shelves so gently that it stays shallow a long way out, which suits families and also makes it good for windsurfing and kitesurfing when the wind is up. Behind the dunes are shore meadows and wetland used by migrating birds, with towers for watching them. In July the beach is busy; the rest of the year it is a long empty stretch of sand and wind.

What you actually see

• The largest dune field in Finland - marram, pine and shifting sand.
• Six kilometres of shallow beach - water staying shallow far out.
• Boardwalks over the dunes - the routes protecting the fragile sections.
• Bird towers behind the shore - the wetland and migration watchpoints.

When to go

June to August for swimming; spring and autumn for birds and for the dunes without crowds. A day. The Baltic here is cold and windy even in summer.

Honest expectations

The water is cold and the wind is constant; swimming weather is limited even in July. Dunes are fragile and walking off the boardwalks damages them. Facilities are seasonal. Out of season almost everything is shut.

Nearby

Pori is north-east; Rauma lies south.