This route is a day loop of about 9.9 km on the map through Eastern Helsinki’s inner archipelago, centred on the small recreation island Pikku Leikosaari (chart name Lilla Lekholmen). The main reason to go is the wood-fired public sauna and the rocky islet setting managed as a Uuvi recreation destination: mooring rings...
Uuvi (Helsinki-Uusimaa Outdoors) – Pikku Leikosaari recreation area+
Description
This route is a day loop of about 9.9 km on the map through Eastern Helsinki’s inner archipelago, centred on the small recreation island Pikku Leikosaari (chart name Lilla Lekholmen). The main reason to go is the wood-fired public sauna and the rocky islet setting managed as a Uuvi recreation destination: mooring rings and buoys, fireplaces with supplied firewood, a swimming jetty, and an information board, with dogs required to stay on leash. The island sits a little under two kilometres south of the Kallahdenniemi peninsula; from Puotila or Vuosaari harbours the straight-line distance is on the order of six kilometres, so the paddle crosses short open stretches even though the island is still inside the inner archipelago.
Natura Viva describes a practical circuit from Vuosaari Paddling Centre: the most sheltered line to Pikku Leikosaari follows the tip of Kallahdenniemi, crosses the busy boat lane at Haapasaari at its narrowest point, then passes Santinen and Iso Leikosaari before landing on the north side of Pikku Leikosaari, where the kayak landings are best—wet rock is very slippery. After the sauna stop, an alternative return when weather allows crosses several fairways toward smaller islands, passes near Kivisaari, and can include stops at Kotiluoto and the Villaluodot group before continuing past Malkasaari back toward the paddling centre—Natura Viva’s published distance for that kind of loop is about nine kilometres with an indicative paddling time of two to four hours.
Along our mapped line you also pass beaches and services on the Vuosaari–Kallahden shore (for example Villa Ullas café and Kallahdenniemi beach), then the Villaluodot and Kotiluoto cluster mid-loop: Kotiluoto has a seasonal ferry link in summer, cooking shelters, a sauna, and landing spots for paddlers; the three Villaluodot islands differ in whether overnight tents are allowed. Malkasaari offers another grill shelter and sauna before you close the loop near Iso Kallahden beach and sports fields. Nearby trail routes on land include Kallahdenniemen luontopolku along the peninsula and the long Itäinen rantareitti waterfront walking route, which shares several shoreline places with this water loop.
For the sauna itself, Uuvi states the stove must not be dosed with seawater—bring fresh water for löyly—and visitors book a turn by writing in the notebook in the letterbox on the sauna wall, following Uuvi’s general sauna rules. Natura Viva adds that there is no advance booking of shifts; on sunny days you may need to wait, and rainwater barrels on the island supply water for the stones if you did not bring your own. Fires are only at designated fireplaces; during wildfire warnings all open fires are prohibited.
If you fish from a kayak in Helsinki sea areas, check whether you need the city fishing permit in addition to the national fishing management fee, especially when using more than one rod—see the Helsinki fishing permit pages. Equipment hire, courses, and route advice are available from Natura Viva at Vuosaari Paddling Centre.
Length & route
On our map the route is about 9.9 km as one continuous sea-kayaking loop. Natura Viva publishes a similar Eastern Helsinki archipelago circuit of about nine kilometres with an indicative paddling time of two to four hours, including the crossing to Pikku Leikosaari and a return leg past Kotiluoto, Villaluodot, and Malkasaari when conditions allow.
Getting there
By kayak the usual access is from Natura Viva’s Vuosaari Paddling Centre on Harbonkatu in Vuosaari, where parking and rentals are available. From land, Kallahden parkkipaikka and other shore car parks serve the Kallahdenniemi–Ullas area; Kallahdenniemi also has its own parking near the nature trailhead. Kotiluoto has a summer ferry from FRS Finland as an alternative way to reach that island group without paddling the whole loop.
Good to know
Uuvi reminds visitors that Pikku Leikosaari lies along boat fairways: cross busy channels at right angles at the narrowest safe point, watch for motor traffic, and use mooring rings and buoys as marked—some landing spots are on sloping rock. The Villaluodot–Kotiluoto group has detailed landing guidance for paddlers on the City of Helsinki island pages; Kotiluoto’s main pier is not for tying up, while mooring rings on several shores are intended for small craft.
Camping on Pikku Leikosaari is discussed in paddling guides as possible in tents with care for crowding; always follow Uuvi and city rules for the specific island you use. For swimming, use the marked jetty rather than confusing it with a kayak landing on the east side.
Sauna etiquette and cleaning expectations for Uuvi islands are summarised in Uuvi’s sauna rules; bring biodegradable cleaning if you use the sauna room.
Where to rent kayaks
Natura Viva operates Vuosaari Paddling Centre at Harbonkatu 13, Vuosaari, renting kayaks (including beginner and touring models), canoes, SUP boards, and rowing boats, with buoyancy aids, paddle, spray deck, and a chart of marked routes included in hire—staff can advise on weather and local restrictions.
Guided tours & Experiences
Natura Viva offers guided paddling trips, skills courses, and group programmes from Vuosaari Paddling Centre; see their activities pages for dates and booking.
Natura Viva recommends the sheltered outbound leg along Kallahdenniemi toward Pikku Leikosaari, then a broader return through fairways past Kotiluoto, Villaluodot, and Malkasaari when weather permits—effectively a loop rather than an out-and-back along the same line.
Route direction
Recreation Area
Recreation Area
Archipelago
Archipelago
Island
Island
Dogs (On Leash)
Dogs
Open / Good Condition
Open / Good Condition
Natura Viva – To the sauna at Pikku Leikosaari (Eastern Helsinki archipelago paddling route)
Activities allowed
Kayak / Canoe
Activity
Terrain & conditions
9.9 km
Distance
Natura Viva gives two to four hours as indicative paddling time for a roughly nine-kilometre version of this archipelago loop. Our mapped line is slightly longer at about 9.9 km, so allow correspondingly more time in wind or when waiting for a sauna turn.
Est. Time
Loop
Route Type
Sea / Coastal Paddling
Water type
Natura Viva – To the sauna at Pikku Leikosaari (Eastern Helsinki archipelago paddling route)
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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.
Promotional on-water kayaking footage from Vuosaari Paddling Centre (Natura Viva) in Eastern Helsinki’s archipelago—same operator and area as this route.
Description
This route is a day loop of about 9.9 km on the map through Eastern Helsinki’s inner archipelago, centred on the small recreation island Pikku Leikosaari (chart name Lilla Lekholmen). The main reason to go is the wood-fired public sauna and the rocky islet setting managed as a Uuvi recreation destination: mooring rings...
Uuvi (Helsinki-Uusimaa Outdoors) – Pikku Leikosaari recreation area+
Description
This route is a day loop of about 9.9 km on the map through Eastern Helsinki’s inner archipelago, centred on the small recreation island Pikku Leikosaari (chart name Lilla Lekholmen). The main reason to go is the wood-fired public sauna and the rocky islet setting managed as a Uuvi recreation destination: mooring rings and buoys, fireplaces with supplied firewood, a swimming jetty, and an information board, with dogs required to stay on leash. The island sits a little under two kilometres south of the Kallahdenniemi peninsula; from Puotila or Vuosaari harbours the straight-line distance is on the order of six kilometres, so the paddle crosses short open stretches even though the island is still inside the inner archipelago.
Natura Viva describes a practical circuit from Vuosaari Paddling Centre: the most sheltered line to Pikku Leikosaari follows the tip of Kallahdenniemi, crosses the busy boat lane at Haapasaari at its narrowest point, then passes Santinen and Iso Leikosaari before landing on the north side of Pikku Leikosaari, where the kayak landings are best—wet rock is very slippery. After the sauna stop, an alternative return when weather allows crosses several fairways toward smaller islands, passes near Kivisaari, and can include stops at Kotiluoto and the Villaluodot group before continuing past Malkasaari back toward the paddling centre—Natura Viva’s published distance for that kind of loop is about nine kilometres with an indicative paddling time of two to four hours.
Along our mapped line you also pass beaches and services on the Vuosaari–Kallahden shore (for example Villa Ullas café and Kallahdenniemi beach), then the Villaluodot and Kotiluoto cluster mid-loop: Kotiluoto has a seasonal ferry link in summer, cooking shelters, a sauna, and landing spots for paddlers; the three Villaluodot islands differ in whether overnight tents are allowed. Malkasaari offers another grill shelter and sauna before you close the loop near Iso Kallahden beach and sports fields. Nearby trail routes on land include Kallahdenniemen luontopolku along the peninsula and the long Itäinen rantareitti waterfront walking route, which shares several shoreline places with this water loop.
For the sauna itself, Uuvi states the stove must not be dosed with seawater—bring fresh water for löyly—and visitors book a turn by writing in the notebook in the letterbox on the sauna wall, following Uuvi’s general sauna rules. Natura Viva adds that there is no advance booking of shifts; on sunny days you may need to wait, and rainwater barrels on the island supply water for the stones if you did not bring your own. Fires are only at designated fireplaces; during wildfire warnings all open fires are prohibited.
If you fish from a kayak in Helsinki sea areas, check whether you need the city fishing permit in addition to the national fishing management fee, especially when using more than one rod—see the Helsinki fishing permit pages. Equipment hire, courses, and route advice are available from Natura Viva at Vuosaari Paddling Centre.
Length & route
On our map the route is about 9.9 km as one continuous sea-kayaking loop. Natura Viva publishes a similar Eastern Helsinki archipelago circuit of about nine kilometres with an indicative paddling time of two to four hours, including the crossing to Pikku Leikosaari and a return leg past Kotiluoto, Villaluodot, and Malkasaari when conditions allow.
Getting there
By kayak the usual access is from Natura Viva’s Vuosaari Paddling Centre on Harbonkatu in Vuosaari, where parking and rentals are available. From land, Kallahden parkkipaikka and other shore car parks serve the Kallahdenniemi–Ullas area; Kallahdenniemi also has its own parking near the nature trailhead. Kotiluoto has a summer ferry from FRS Finland as an alternative way to reach that island group without paddling the whole loop.
Good to know
Uuvi reminds visitors that Pikku Leikosaari lies along boat fairways: cross busy channels at right angles at the narrowest safe point, watch for motor traffic, and use mooring rings and buoys as marked—some landing spots are on sloping rock. The Villaluodot–Kotiluoto group has detailed landing guidance for paddlers on the City of Helsinki island pages; Kotiluoto’s main pier is not for tying up, while mooring rings on several shores are intended for small craft.
Camping on Pikku Leikosaari is discussed in paddling guides as possible in tents with care for crowding; always follow Uuvi and city rules for the specific island you use. For swimming, use the marked jetty rather than confusing it with a kayak landing on the east side.
Sauna etiquette and cleaning expectations for Uuvi islands are summarised in Uuvi’s sauna rules; bring biodegradable cleaning if you use the sauna room.
Where to rent kayaks
Natura Viva operates Vuosaari Paddling Centre at Harbonkatu 13, Vuosaari, renting kayaks (including beginner and touring models), canoes, SUP boards, and rowing boats, with buoyancy aids, paddle, spray deck, and a chart of marked routes included in hire—staff can advise on weather and local restrictions.
Guided tours & Experiences
Natura Viva offers guided paddling trips, skills courses, and group programmes from Vuosaari Paddling Centre; see their activities pages for dates and booking.
Natura Viva recommends the sheltered outbound leg along Kallahdenniemi toward Pikku Leikosaari, then a broader return through fairways past Kotiluoto, Villaluodot, and Malkasaari when weather permits—effectively a loop rather than an out-and-back along the same line.
Route direction
Recreation Area
Recreation Area
Archipelago
Archipelago
Island
Island
Dogs (On Leash)
Dogs
Open / Good Condition
Open / Good Condition
Natura Viva – To the sauna at Pikku Leikosaari (Eastern Helsinki archipelago paddling route)
Natura Viva gives two to four hours as indicative paddling time for a roughly nine-kilometre version of this archipelago loop. Our mapped line is slightly longer at about 9.9 km, so allow correspondingly more time in wind or when waiting for a sauna turn.
Est. Time
Loop
Route Type
Sea / Coastal Paddling
Water type
Natura Viva – To the sauna at Pikku Leikosaari (Eastern Helsinki archipelago paddling route)
Be the first to write a review for "To the sauna at Pikku Leikosaari"
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.