Another sunny day so we planned a trip to Helsinki’s eastern suburb of Vuosaari. To get there we caught a bus into Kamppi from where we connected to the metro for our journey, Vuosaari being the final stop on the line taking just 20 minutes.
Leaving the metro station we glanced in the Columbus shopping mall before walking down the tree lined avenue towards the sea approximately 1 km away. Arriving at the coast there’s a large marina with some inviting cafe bars with seating overlooking the water. This seaside area of Vuosaari is known as Aurinkolahti (Sunny Bay) and here you will find a lovely wide sandy beach stretching for 700 metres, making it a perfect spot for a dip in the sea on a warm, sunny day like this. As you can see from the above photo the beach is very inviting, it’s patrolled by lifeguards and there are plenty of changing rooms and shower blocks to use.
You will find several cafes and ice cream kiosks along the promenade but our favourite lies at the far end of the bay and is called is called Kahvila Kampela. This delightful little cafe has a large outdoor terrace overlooking the marina and the beach beyond. In the photo below you can see me relaxing on one of the comfortable sun loungers overlooking the marina.
I can definitely recommend their huge cinnamon buns which we always select to eat with our cups of coffee. One word of warning though, beware of the seagulls which perch on the roof of the cafe ready to swoop down on unguarded cakes and pastries. Even today we noticed a lady leave her cinnamon bun unattended for a few seconds to look at her phone and almost immediately a seagull swooped down and carried the whole bun away in its beak!
After leaving the cafe we followed one of the nature trails through the forest. There are several trails available and we decided to follow the longest one along gravel paths through the trees. There are a few steep sections but the walk is relatively easy and could also be taken by cyclists. We came across two covered barbecue areas where you can cook your own sausages or other food on the grill and enjoy a picnic sitting at one of the tables. Wood is usually available for the grill but if you are planning on cooking you will need to provide your own matches and utensils (tongs, etc.) and you must ensure that the fire is extinguished before you leave if no-one else is waiting to use the barbecue.
The nature trail leads to some rocky outcrops and climbing over them we were rewarded with some fine views back along the coast to the centre of Vuosaari. A group of children were using kayaks and a few people were swimming whilst others sunbathed on the rocks. Several people were berry picking managing to spot some delicious cloudberries partially hidden in the swampy reed beds. Continuing, the path passes some allotments brimming with vegetables and flowers before returning to its starting point near Kahvila Kampela.
We returned to the metro station by an alternative route along the side of the canal where there is a waterfall that you can walk behind which is fun to do so that you have a curtain of water in front of you and, best of all, you don’t get wet!
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Looks like this place is well set up for summer enjoyment Marion. Scenery, coffee and cinnamon buns too. My favourite. I can imagine the gulls would be a problem, if you left your food unattended. Thanks for sharing. Allan
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I noticed this year that they had put netting up since our last visit but it won’t be foolproof as the gulls will no doubt learn to swoop down beneath it! The best policy is to tuck in straightaway!
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I absolutely love the seaside in Vuosaari, I live just a few kilometeres from there and Aurinkolahti beach is my favourite place to spend a sunny day. The nature trails right next to the beach are a piece of green heaven. Did you try salmon soup at Cafe Kampela? It is probably the best salmon soup in town.
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Yes, I have sampled their creamy salmon soup on a previous visit. It’s a lovely cafe and those new sun loungers are so inviting, too. It’s interesting to read that you live so close! It must look beautiful in mid winter when the sea is frozen, I’d love to visit then.
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It is a gorgeous place in winter, very cold and windy though. In mid winter when the sea is covered by a thick layer of ice and snow it is so exciting to go for a long walk on the ice with the sun shining low in the horizon.
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It sounds idyllic!
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I love Aurinkolahti and Cafe Kampela 🙂 (Except the last time I was there, there were a gazillion bees! Hope they were gone by the time you got there!)
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Hello! Thanks for reading my posts. No, we didn’t have problems with bees at the cafe on either of our visits. It’s good to read that you like it round there as well!
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Looks gorgeous – love the look of those sun loungers, my idea of relaxation!
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Lots of warm sunshine, too Joy! Hope you are having a lovely summer as well.
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What a lovely place to visit…am sitting here laughing at the thought of that seagull…(mainly because it wasn’t my cinnamon bun – but now I feel like eating one of those buns. Thanks for a great post Marion.
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Thanks for your encouraging words Sue. Finnish cinnamon buns are the best I’ve ever tasted but seagulls are the same the world over!!
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Ooh I like those sun loungers! I have heard good things about Kampela, great to see it “live” on your posts. I never go to Vuosaari, but it’s so easy to hop on a metro like you, so a daytrip would be more than easy to do. xx
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It’s a really attractive spot when it’s warm and sunny and so many boats to see!
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A wonderful travelogue 😊
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Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. It’s so pleasing that you have enjoyed reading my post.
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Looks like a lovely place. I would be more than a little upset if a seagull carried away my pastry, but she should have paid more attention to her food. looks like a really nice place to visit. Karen
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I agree, I wouldn’t have been happy if a seagull had taken my pastry either so best to concentrate on the food than other things!
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Thank You. Vuosaari is quite unknown to me and due to that, I love Your post with gorgeous photos. Picking berries belongs to the everyman’s right in Finland. Wikipedia explains it quite well.
Have a wonderful day!
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Hi Sartenada, It’s pleasing that you enjoyed my post on Vuosaari. It’s a pleasantly landscaped district centred round the bay and perfect for a sunny afternoon. Hope your day goes well, too!
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I hadn’t realised quite how much there was to do within a short distance of Helsinki. Will have to pick your brains early in the New Year as we’re planning a walking trip either to central or northern Finland later in the year.
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Hi Hayley, Thank you for reading and commenting on my post. There are endless things to do I the greater Helsinki area, particularly in the summertime, I’m certain you will enjoy your trip.
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Lovely post. So the pesky problems of greedy seagulls are universal I see 🙂
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Hi Miriam – yes seagulls are just the same wherever in the world you might be! Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Thought that would be the case!
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Looks like a nice place to unwind and relax!
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It is a lovely place as like everywhere in Finland it’s very peaceful.
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