Southern Hanko attracts tourists especially in summer. The beautiful seaside town offers beautiful sandy beaches, stunning seascapes and spectacular natural sites. Hanko has been honored to be the southernmost city in Finland. The summer season at the bilingual Hanko starts as early as May, so a long summer is the best time to explore this idyllic city.
Maritime landscapes in Hanko
Hanko, the southernmost city in Finland, is located about 130 kilometers from Helsinki and is a very popular destination in summer. Hanko it is known for its idyllic urban atmosphere and beautiful sandy beaches. Hanko is precisely a summer destination, but the city is also worth a visit in other seasons.
The summer months tourists to Hanko navigated so as kesäasukkaitakin, and a rich range of events will ensure that the visitor time to be bored.
The sea is one of the most dominant elements of Hanko, as it surrounds the city from the south, west and north. The sea with its numerous beaches is also one of the city’s attractions. Hanko has a whopping more than a hundred kilometers of coastline, of which a sandy beach is enough for a 30-kilometer journey. So friends of a beach holiday should head to the beaches of Hanko to laze.
The ports of Hanko are popular, and the city is home to Finland’s largest guest marina.
Hanko is a summer destination
The best time to travel to Hanko is during the summer months, when the city comes to life. Some of Hanko’s services are also open in other seasons, but, for example, only four of the city’s 13 restaurants are open all year round.
In winter, Hanko is quieter, but that does not mean that the city does not offer the tourist experiences during the winter months as well. Hanko City Park, nature trails and the atmosphere of the city do not disappear anywhere outside the summer, and the sites are worth visiting in all seasons.
Domestic beach holiday in Hanko
Hanko is typically used for a relaxed beach holiday, during which you can enjoy local restaurants, enjoy the warm climate of Finland’s southernmost city and feel the nautical atmosphere. Hanko has a total of eight beaches, so a beach holiday is easy even during popular holidays.
In addition to swimming and beach life, the sea extends almost everywhere in Hanko, as the harbor restaurants of the small town and the summer shops of Itäsatama breathe the sea atmosphere during the summer months.
Hanko is also a good shopping destination, as the city center has plenty of atmospheric little stone-foot boutiques that are open all year round. During the summer months, there are also many pop up shops in the town.
FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN HANGO
The streets of Hanko come to life in the summer.
Travel to Hanko
Hanko does not have its own airport, and the most convenient way to get to the destination is to first fly to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and continue from there to Hanko. The trip of about 130 kilometers is conveniently folded, for example, by train or car. Hanko also has its own train station, and the train journey from Helsinki to Hanko takes just under two hours.
The port city is also popular with sailors, and Hanko’s East Harbor is a guest marina for the whole of Finland. The city has three guest marinas as well as six other ports.
Comfortable accommodation
There are 11 hotels in Hanko, which offer visitors the opportunity to stay in an atmospheric lace villa, an old police station or a beautiful boutique hotel.
In addition to hotels, the city can also accommodate locals, rental cottages or even a campsite.
Hanko is a small town whose center is within easy walking distance. If there is a need to fold a longer distance, it is advisable to travel the distances by bicycle.
SIGHTS OF HANGO
Beaches are the most important destinations in Hanko.
Hike in beautiful nature
In addition to sandy beaches, the sea also offers other diverse landscapes. Guided tours can be made, for example, to the southernmost tip of Finland, the Uddskatan Nature Reserve. The nature of the area is truly diverse: cliffs, sandy beaches and coves merge with lush islands and beautiful meadows, with an open pool in the background.
The scenery of Hanko can also be admired from the many observation towers. The watchtower on the Watchtower offers great city views and binoculars. The water tower is open every day during the summer from June to August. Seascapes can be found especially in the West Harbor, where there are two good vantage points: the storm tower and the observation deck from the Sun Bridge.
Summer cruises
When the first cruises depart from East Harbor to Bengtskär, Russarö and Hauensuo, you know that the summer in Hanko has arrived.
Bengtskär Lighthouse is one of Hanko’s most renowned sites. The tallest lighthouse in the Nordic countries was built in 1906 and is located on Bengtskär, the southernmost inhabited island in Finland. The island also houses a lighthouse museum and an exhibition on the Battle of Bengtskär, as well as a lighthouse post office and a café.
On Russarö Island is a five-storey stone lighthouse built in 1863, called Hanko Eye or Hankoniemi Eye. The lighthouse is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in Finland. In addition to the lighthouse, the island of Russarö is also worth exploring the unique archipelago nature.
The pancreas is an interesting and unique attraction. Hundreds of names and coat of arms have been dug into the rocks of the narrow strait between the two islets, telling of human voyages from the 16th century.
THE BEST OF HANGO
During your trip to Hanko, you should pop in at least one of the city’s numerous sandy beaches.
The best ports
- East Harbor
- West Harbor
- Pancreas
Experience these beaches
- Plagen beach
- Silversand beach
- Bellevue
- Slaktis
- Hankonkylä beach
The best cruises from Hanko
- Lighthouse cruise to Bengtskär
- Russarö cruises
- Island cruises
- Seal safaris to the outer archipelago