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Suursoutujen soutureitti kayaking route

—•Kayaking Routes

77 km

Route

Hopeasaaren grillikota

56.3 km|Free

Campfire Spots

Description

Sulkavan Suursoudut – Rowing around Partalansaari (60 km)+

Description

Suursoutujen soutureitti follows the famous long-distance water corridor of Sulkavan Suursoudut on Lake Saimaa in South Savo. On our map the line is about 77 km; it crosses the same Partalansaari circuit waters that the festival describes as roughly 60 km for the one-day king route and about 70 km for the overnight retkisoutu, with narrows, open sounds, and the best-known challenge sections along the way. For route narratives, maps, and how race days are organised, start with the Sulkavan Suursoudut. The Finnish canoeing and rowing federation also summarises distance options and links to the same route hub when the event format changes. In Puumala, Visit Puumala points to Saimaa Canoeing for year-round hire, courses, and guided trips on Saimaa if you need local outfitters rather than your own craft. On Vuorenvalloitus, a first-time church-boat participant described how a 60 km festival leg can take on the order of five to seven hours for newcomers, which helps set expectations if you paddle the same geography at touring pace. The classic king-route story on the organiser site runs from the rowing stadium shore through Hakovirta and Linnanvirta, then Varmanvirran narrows toward Haapaselkä off Puumala, onward through Kietävälä with heavy-shipping awareness, and across the wide Lepistönselkä before the Vekaransalmi bridge and the last kilometres to the stadium finish. The two-day retkisoutu version spreads that journey with a night at Varviranta saunas and tent camping between paddling days. On our geometry the line passes the Sulkava shore cluster around the mid route: the Oravareitti/Sulkava kayaking route shares the same harbour band, and Kolmen lossin kierros meets the water near Rongonsalmen lossi. Near Hopeasaari the mapped track approaches Hopeasaaren grillikota and Tiittalan kartanon rantamakasiini; land trails such as Hopeasaaren lenkki and Vilkaharju MTB loop visit the same ridge-and-shore pocket if you stretch your legs. Treat this as serious open-lake paddling: wind on Haapaselkä and Lepistönselkä, motor traffic on the deep channel, and ferry or cable crossings need planning, VHF or phone readiness, and skills well beyond a first-day lesson. The July regatta brings extra traffic and escort boats; outside race weekend you still share the water with cargo ships and cruisers where the organiser text warns about deep-channel rules.

Length & route

The mapped kayaking line is about 77 km along the Suursoutu race corridor on Lake Saimaa. The organiser describes the one-day Partalansaari king circuit as roughly 60 km and the overnight retkisoutu as about 70 km with the same island loop logic; small differences against our GPX are normal when harbours and cut lines vary. In calm conditions a strong crew might complete similar mileage in one very long summer day, but most touring paddlers should plan two or more days with weather buffers, especially across Lepistönselkä and Haapaselkä.

Getting there

Festival craft launch from the Sulkava rowing stadium and Hakovirta area as described in the organiser route pages; independent kayaks should use public ramps and harbours that match your shuttle plan along the Saimaa shore—Puumala and Sulkava both offer tourism contacts. Confirm parking and carry rules for trailers with local harbour pages before leaving vehicles for a multi-day paddle.

Good to know

Carry navigation charts or a reliable marine map app, bright clothing, and a means to hear weather warnings. Give way to commercial traffic on the deep fairway and follow local boating rules; the organiser text flags where cargo ships do not yield to small craft. Saimaa ringed seal habitat overlaps these waters—keep distance and avoid disturbance. Fishing from a kayak may require national and regional permits on Saimaa; check current rules before fishing.

Itinerary

If you mirror the retkisoutu schedule, plan an first day from the stadium area through Varmanvirran narrows toward an overnight near Varviranta with sauna and tent space as the organiser describes for the two-day rowing class. Second day, expect Lepistönselkä and the approach past Vekaransalmi before returning toward the stadium finish. Paddling-only groups without race infrastructure should book commercial campsites or negotiate landowners rather than assuming Varviranta access outside the event.

Where to rent kayaks

Saimaa Canoeing in the Puumala area advertises year-round kayak and canoe hire, courses, guided trips, and drysuit rental in winter through Visit Puumala and its own site—useful if you stage a shuttle from Puumala while paddling the eastern Saimaa basin.

Managed by

Sulkava

Official Maintenance

Trail info

The festival routes are described as a circuit of Partalansaari returning to the Sulkava stadium; our stored geometry is not a closed loop in the database, so treat the line as a long Saimaa passage and plan shuttles accordingly. Wind and ship traffic often dictate clockwise versus counter-clockwise choices—compare forecasts with the organiser’s stage descriptions when you plan stops.

Route direction

Archipelago

Lake

Open / Good Condition

Sulkavan Suursoudut – Rowing around Partalansaari (60 km)

Activities allowed

Kayak / Canoe

Activity

Terrain & conditions

77 km

Distance

Typically two or more full paddling days for most groups at touring pace on a 77 km line; festival crews row the 60 km class in a single long day and the 70 km retkisoutu across two days with camping.

Est. Time

Point-to-Point

Route Type

Lake Paddling

Water type

Sulkavan Suursoudut – Retkisoutu route description

Location

61.73456°N, 28.25003°E

Approximate location

FinlandCountry

South SavoRegion

PuumalaCity

Kayaking RoutesCategory

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Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Sulkava, and other trusted sources, in March 2026. Our route / place GPX data comes from Metsähallitus / Lipas, last updated March 2026. Always check their official website for safety-critical updates.

Finland South Savo Puumala Kayaking RoutesSuursoutujen soutureitti kayaking route