Sottunga – the perfect archipelago destination for visitors to mainland Åland
Looking for a place on Åland where you can experience the real archipelago without a long journey? Sottunga is an easy way to combine a holiday on mainland Åland with a night in a small archipelago municipality.
Sottunga is easy to reach from Långnäs harbour. You can drive to Långnäs, leave your car at the harbour and continue to Sottunga by ferry. The ferry ride itself is already part of the archipelago experience.
In our opinion, Sottunga is particularly suitable for travellers who want to see more of Åland than Mariehamn and the main island – but don’t want to spend hours travelling.
How do you get to Sottunga from mainland Åland?
The easiest way is to drive to Långnäs, leave your car at the harbour and continue by ferry to Sottunga.
Sottunga is an easy one-night destination even if you are travelling around Åland by car. Your car can stay in Långnäs while you visit the island.
You don’t really need a car on Sottunga. Sottunga municipality provides free bicycles for visitors, making it easy to explore the island by bike.
Always check the latest ferry timetables and any reservation requirements before travelling, as archipelago ferry services vary depending on the season and the day.
Where should you stay in Sottunga?
If you really want to experience Sottunga, we recommend staying overnight.
Strandhugget BnB is located directly at Sottunga harbour.
When you arrive by ferry, you are practically already at your accommodation. Your car can stay in Långnäs, and once you arrive in Sottunga you can forget about the car completely.
This is one of the best things about Sottunga: you don’t need a complicated travel plan.
Arrive by ferry, walk to your accommodation, explore the island and then simply slow down and enjoy the archipelago.
Sights to see in Sottunga
Sottunga is small, but there are a few places that are worth seeing.
Sottunga Church
Sottunga Church is located right next to Strandhugget.
It is easy to visit the church as soon as you arrive. Its location makes it one of the easiest sights to see in Sottunga – you don’t need to make a separate trip to get there.
Skage – a picturesque fishing harbour
Skage is a small and atmospheric fishing harbour and a good place to experience the traditional archipelago landscape of Sottunga.
Take your time here. The boats, sea, rocks and small harbour tell the story of life in the archipelago better than any major tourist attraction could.
The coastal rocks and archipelago nature
Sottunga’s coastal rocks may be exactly what you have come here to experience.
You don’t need to do anything here.
Sit on the rocks, look out over the sea, listen to the wind and the birds, and simply let time pass. If the weather is good, bring a coffee or a glass of wine and find your own spot by the sea.
One of Sottunga’s most important attractions is simply its nature.
Free bicycles make it easy to explore the island
Sottunga municipality provides free bicycles for visitors.
This is particularly convenient if you arrive in Sottunga by car but leave your car in Långnäs.
With a bicycle, you can easily visit Skage, the church and other parts of the island without a car. It doesn’t have to be a long cycling trip – the important thing is that you can move around at your own pace.
Salterie – dinner in the archipelago
We recommend having dinner at Salterie while you are in Sottunga.
The restaurant in this small archipelago municipality is a natural choice for a relaxed evening. Once your car is safely parked in Långnäs and the day’s ferry journey is over, you can simply walk from Strandhugget to dinner.
Sottunga’s summer market
During the summer, Sottunga also has a summer market.
The market is a good place to discover local products and small producers from the archipelago. You may find, for example, local bread and fish products, as well as other products from the surrounding area.
In our opinion, these small local places are an important part of Sottunga’s charm.
You don’t come to Sottunga to fit everything into one day
Sottunga’s most important attraction may not be a particular sight at all.
You come here to slow down.
You can visit the church, cycle to Skage, have dinner at Salterie and visit the summer market – but you can just as easily do much less.
Sit on the coastal rocks. Look out over the sea. Listen to nature.
When the last ferries of the day have left and the island becomes quieter, you may understand best why it is worth staying overnight in Sottunga.
An example of a relaxing one-night stay in Sottunga
Day 1
Drive from mainland Åland to Långnäs.
Leave your car at Långnäs harbour.
Take the ferry to Sottunga.
Arrive at Strandhugget, located directly at the harbour.
Visit Sottunga Church.
Take a free bicycle and cycle to Skage or explore the island at your own pace.
Visit the summer market if it is open.
Dinner at Salterie.
Take an evening walk to the coastal rocks and enjoy the evening.
Stay overnight at Strandhugget.
Day 2
A relaxed morning and Strandhugget’s breakfast.
Take a short walk or bicycle ride if you feel like it.
Take the ferry back to Långnäs.
Collect your car and continue exploring mainland Åland.
Why choose Sottunga?
Sottunga is ideal for travellers who want to experience the Åland archipelago easily and without rushing.
You can drive to Långnäs, leave your car at the harbour, take the ferry to Sottunga and soon find yourself in a completely different environment.
There are small sights to discover, a good restaurant, local products, beautiful coastal rocks and, above all, plenty of space to relax.
Sottunga is a small, authentic and peaceful archipelago destination that works particularly well as a one-night trip for visitors travelling around mainland Åland.
And perhaps most importantly, you don’t have to do anything special in Sottunga.
Come here, leave your car in Långnäs, take the ferry to Sottunga and let the archipelago do the rest.
Sottunga at a glance
Best for: a one-night archipelago stay, travellers by car and anyone looking for peace and quiet
Getting there: Långnäs → Sottunga by ferry
Car: your car can be left at Långnäs harbour
Accommodation: Strandhugget BnB, directly at Sottunga harbour
Bicycles: free bicycles provided by Sottunga municipality
Sights: Sottunga Church, Skage fishing harbour and the coastal rocks
Food: Salterie
Summer: Sottunga summer market and local products
The main experience: the peace and nature of the archipelago
Return: Sottunga → Långnäs by ferry
