Vartiosaari health nature trail, Helsinki

Vartiosaari health nature trail

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Vartiosaari health nature trail

—•Hiking Trails

3.2 km

Route

Parking 1

Ilomäenpuiston kuntoportaat

Fitness StairsPortaiden kokonaisnousu on noin 26 m. Portaat ovat 2,5 m leveät, puurakenteiset, varustettuna metallisilla avokaiteilla ja käsijohteilla. Valaistusjärjestelmä kaiteen sisällä.

Laajasalon uimaranta / Ulkokuntoilupaikka

Outdoor Gyms513151. Tukkipatteri, leuanvetotangot, Davidin painopakkasäädettävät jalkakyykkylaite sekä penkkipunnerruslaite.

Laajasalon parkkipaikka

Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri

Ferries & CrossingsThe Reposalmen lautturit solar ferry operates daily from June to August, with weekends in May and September. Accessible from Laajasalo and Vartiosaari, passengers can take the ferry directly or order in advance. Stroller...

Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri - Vartiosaari

Ferries & CrossingsThe Reposalmen lautturit solar ferry operates daily from June to August, with weekends in May and September. Accessible from Laajasalo and Vartiosaari, passengers can take the ferry directly or order in advance. Stroller...

Description

The Vartiosaari health nature trail is about 3.2 km through wooded villa island terrain in eastern Helsinki’s inner archipelago. Some guides round the distance shorter; Helsingin kaupunki describes the marked route as roughly two and a half kilometres while detailed GPS tracks from the landing often land closer to thre...

City of Helsinki – Vartiosaari+

Description

The Vartiosaari health nature trail is about 3.2 km through wooded villa island terrain in eastern Helsinki’s inner archipelago. Some guides round the distance shorter; Helsingin kaupunki describes the marked route as roughly two and a half kilometres while detailed GPS tracks from the landing often land closer to three kilometres. For ferry links from Reposalmi, the composting toilet a short walk from the pier, guest mooring at Pässilahti, kayaking landings, and conservation rules on the island’s nature reserve, start with the City of Helsinki’s Vartiosaari overview on the same site. MyHelsinki outlines summer connections—including the eastern archipelago service and the electric callboat from Laajasalo—for planning how you reach the island. Retkipaikka’s walk-through highlights red-topped stakes, wooden tubes with short wellbeing tasks along the path, Viikinkikallio views over the sea, the forest church, giant’s kettle, and a pace that stretches past two hours when you stop at viewpoints. Access begins at the Reposalmi side: Laajasalon parkkipaikka is the natural place to leave a car before you walk to Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri and cross to Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri - Vartiosaari. In summer, Pop-Up Kahvila (kesäisin) sits by the island landing for drinks and snacks. Within the first few hundred metres along the trail you pass dry-toilet service away from the pier; you do not need to hunt down individual hut names in signage to benefit from that. The route threads past Pop-Up Kahvila, climbs toward lookouts, then works around toward Melojien rantautumispaikka on a sandy cove suited to kayaks—matching the City of Helsinki’s note that paddlers are steered to the north-east pocket beach. Farther along, about three kilometres from the start, Pässilahden vierasvenelaituri offers short guest berthing on the western side if you arrive by small boat. On the mainland shore opposite the strait, Laajasalon uimaranta / Ulkokuntoilupaikka and Ilomäenpuiston kuntoportaat sit in Laajasalo’s sports belt if you want a swim or stairs workout before or after the island loop. Laajasalon kuntoradan latu 1 km and Laajasalon liikuntapuiston kuntorata 1 km thread the same parks as the ferry approach, and Aittasaaren ulkoilureitti shares the shores of Laajasalo with short walking options toward allotment fields and outdoor gyms—handy if you are stitching a longer day on the peninsula. Helsinki sits in Uusimaa, and the island’s old-growth patches, erratic boulders, and shoreline meadows are part of why walkers return despite the short boat hop. Helsinki is the municipality for this route. Uusimaa is the region.

Length & route

The trail is about 3.2 km as recorded for this route. The City of Helsinki describes the wellness nature trail as roughly 2.5 km of self-guided walking marked with signs and low posts with red tops. Underfoot you get packed earth and wood-chip surfaces, occasional duckboards, and steeper wooden steps toward lookout rocks. Allow about two hours with photo stops and task stations; fit groups move faster.

Getting there

The City of Helsinki lists the Reposalmi electric callboat (Aurinkolautta, Reposalmen lautturit in summer 2025) as the main year-to-year link from Reposalmentie plus the FRS Finland eastern archipelago route serving Vartiosaari in summer. MyHelsinki repeats the callboat departure at Reposalmentie 2 and notes the wider summer boat network from Laajasalo, Kalasatama, and Vuosaari. Motorists typically park near Laajasalon parkkipaikka and walk a few minutes to Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri. Kayakers should land at the sandy inlet marked as Melojien rantautumispaikka on park maps. Check current fares and hours on the operator sites linked from the city page before you travel.

Good to know

Part of Vartiosaari is a statutory nature reserve protecting rare shoreline plants; the City of Helsinki bans open fires, camping, random landing in the reserve, and loose pets there. Stay on marked paths through private villa yards along the shore. Boat fees and rules for Pässilahden vierasvenelaituri follow municipal boating price pages.

History

Luonnontie reported in 2013 that the trail opened on 2 July as a Sitra-funded pilot together with Metsäntutkimuslaitos and Helsingin kaupungin ympäristökeskus, building on an older Vartiosaari nature path that had already won national recognition.

Managed by

Helsinki

Helsinki

Official Maintenance

+358 931 013 300

Trail info

Walkers usually circle the island from the ferry landing past south-shore bays toward Viikinkikallio and the forest church, then return toward the landing.

Route direction

Nature Reserve

Area

Recreation Area

Recreation Area

Archipelago

Archipelago

Island

Island

low posts with red tops plus trail signs; wooden information tubes with short exercises

Route Signs

Dogs (On Leash)

Dogs

Open / Good Condition

Open / Good Condition

Retkipaikka – Vartiosaaren terveysluontopolku

Activities allowed

Run

Activity

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

3.2 km

Distance

about 2 hours with stops

Est. Time

Duckboards / Dirt / Sand

Surface

Single Track, Wide Track

Route Type

Moderate Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

2013

Construction year

Location

60.17917°N, 25.06639°E

Parking coordinates

Hiking TrailsCategory

Explore nearby

Laajasalon kuntoradan latu 1 km

Laajasalon liikuntapuiston kuntorata 1 km

Rate & Review

Be the first to write a review for "Vartiosaari health nature trail"

Share a photo from a recent trip

Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Helsinki, 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 Uusimaa Helsinki Hiking TrailsVartiosaari health nature trail

Vartiosaari health nature trail3.2 km

Route

Parking 1

Ilomäenpuiston kuntoportaat

Fitness StairsPortaiden kokonaisnousu on noin 26 m. Portaat ovat 2,5 m leveät, puurakenteiset, varustettuna metallisilla avokaiteilla ja käsijohteilla. Valaistusjärjestelmä kaiteen sisällä.

Laajasalon uimaranta / Ulkokuntoilupaikka

Outdoor Gyms513151. Tukkipatteri, leuanvetotangot, Davidin painopakkasäädettävät jalkakyykkylaite sekä penkkipunnerruslaite.

Laajasalon parkkipaikka

Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri

Ferries & CrossingsThe Reposalmen lautturit solar ferry operates daily from June to August, with weekends in May and September. Accessible from Laajasalo and Vartiosaari, passengers can take the ferry directly or order in advance. Stroller...

Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri - Vartiosaari

Ferries & CrossingsThe Reposalmen lautturit solar ferry operates daily from June to August, with weekends in May and September. Accessible from Laajasalo and Vartiosaari, passengers can take the ferry directly or order in advance. Stroller...

Description

The Vartiosaari health nature trail is about 3.2 km through wooded villa island terrain in eastern Helsinki’s inner archipelago. Some guides round the distance shorter; Helsingin kaupunki describes the marked route as roughly two and a half kilometres while detailed GPS tracks from the landing often land closer to thre...

City of Helsinki – Vartiosaari+

Description

The Vartiosaari health nature trail is about 3.2 km through wooded villa island terrain in eastern Helsinki’s inner archipelago. Some guides round the distance shorter; Helsingin kaupunki describes the marked route as roughly two and a half kilometres while detailed GPS tracks from the landing often land closer to three kilometres. For ferry links from Reposalmi, the composting toilet a short walk from the pier, guest mooring at Pässilahti, kayaking landings, and conservation rules on the island’s nature reserve, start with the City of Helsinki’s Vartiosaari overview on the same site. MyHelsinki outlines summer connections—including the eastern archipelago service and the electric callboat from Laajasalo—for planning how you reach the island. Retkipaikka’s walk-through highlights red-topped stakes, wooden tubes with short wellbeing tasks along the path, Viikinkikallio views over the sea, the forest church, giant’s kettle, and a pace that stretches past two hours when you stop at viewpoints. Access begins at the Reposalmi side: Laajasalon parkkipaikka is the natural place to leave a car before you walk to Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri and cross to Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri - Vartiosaari. In summer, Pop-Up Kahvila (kesäisin) sits by the island landing for drinks and snacks. Within the first few hundred metres along the trail you pass dry-toilet service away from the pier; you do not need to hunt down individual hut names in signage to benefit from that. The route threads past Pop-Up Kahvila, climbs toward lookouts, then works around toward Melojien rantautumispaikka on a sandy cove suited to kayaks—matching the City of Helsinki’s note that paddlers are steered to the north-east pocket beach. Farther along, about three kilometres from the start, Pässilahden vierasvenelaituri offers short guest berthing on the western side if you arrive by small boat. On the mainland shore opposite the strait, Laajasalon uimaranta / Ulkokuntoilupaikka and Ilomäenpuiston kuntoportaat sit in Laajasalo’s sports belt if you want a swim or stairs workout before or after the island loop. Laajasalon kuntoradan latu 1 km and Laajasalon liikuntapuiston kuntorata 1 km thread the same parks as the ferry approach, and Aittasaaren ulkoilureitti shares the shores of Laajasalo with short walking options toward allotment fields and outdoor gyms—handy if you are stitching a longer day on the peninsula. Helsinki sits in Uusimaa, and the island’s old-growth patches, erratic boulders, and shoreline meadows are part of why walkers return despite the short boat hop. Helsinki is the municipality for this route. Uusimaa is the region.

Length & route

The trail is about 3.2 km as recorded for this route. The City of Helsinki describes the wellness nature trail as roughly 2.5 km of self-guided walking marked with signs and low posts with red tops. Underfoot you get packed earth and wood-chip surfaces, occasional duckboards, and steeper wooden steps toward lookout rocks. Allow about two hours with photo stops and task stations; fit groups move faster.

Getting there

The City of Helsinki lists the Reposalmi electric callboat (Aurinkolautta, Reposalmen lautturit in summer 2025) as the main year-to-year link from Reposalmentie plus the FRS Finland eastern archipelago route serving Vartiosaari in summer. MyHelsinki repeats the callboat departure at Reposalmentie 2 and notes the wider summer boat network from Laajasalo, Kalasatama, and Vuosaari. Motorists typically park near Laajasalon parkkipaikka and walk a few minutes to Reposalmen yhteysaluslaituri. Kayakers should land at the sandy inlet marked as Melojien rantautumispaikka on park maps. Check current fares and hours on the operator sites linked from the city page before you travel.

Good to know

Part of Vartiosaari is a statutory nature reserve protecting rare shoreline plants; the City of Helsinki bans open fires, camping, random landing in the reserve, and loose pets there. Stay on marked paths through private villa yards along the shore. Boat fees and rules for Pässilahden vierasvenelaituri follow municipal boating price pages.

History

Luonnontie reported in 2013 that the trail opened on 2 July as a Sitra-funded pilot together with Metsäntutkimuslaitos and Helsingin kaupungin ympäristökeskus, building on an older Vartiosaari nature path that had already won national recognition.

Managed by

Helsinki

Helsinki

Official Maintenance

+358 931 013 300

Trail info

Location

Walkers usually circle the island from the ferry landing past south-shore bays toward Viikinkikallio and the forest church, then return toward the landing.

Route direction

Nature Reserve

Area

Recreation Area

Recreation Area

Archipelago

Archipelago

Island

Island

low posts with red tops plus trail signs; wooden information tubes with short exercises

Route Signs

Dogs (On Leash)

Dogs

Open / Good Condition

Open / Good Condition

Retkipaikka – Vartiosaaren terveysluontopolku

Location

60.17917°N, 25.06639°E

Parking coordinates

Hiking TrailsCategory

Activities allowed

Run

Activity

Hike / Walk

Activity

Terrain & conditions

3.2 km

Distance

about 2 hours with stops

Est. Time

Duckboards / Dirt / Sand

Surface

Single Track, Wide Track

Route Type

Moderate Traffic

Traffic

Partial Shade

Shade

2013

Construction year

Explore nearby

Laajasalon kuntoradan latu 1 km

Laajasalon liikuntapuiston kuntorata 1 km

Rate & Review

Be the first to write a review for "Vartiosaari health nature trail"

Share a photo from a recent trip

Answers to your questions

Our data was researched from Helsinki, 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 Uusimaa Helsinki Hiking TrailsVartiosaari health nature trail