Rymättylä

Rymättylä (Swedish: Rimito) and Merimasku are rural areas in the Archipelago Sea in Finland Proper, consisting of a few main islands and about 500 smaller ones. The main islands have road connection to the mainland.

Understand


As this is the archipelago, fishing has been important, and the churches were built by straits, allowing easy access. Since then, the straits by Rymättylä parish village have dried up, but can still be seen as lakes and lowland.

Rymättylä and Merimasku were rural municipalities that are now a part of Naantali on the mainland, north-east of Rymättylä. To the east of Rymättylä is Airisto (Swedish: Erstan), a large body of water off Turku, separating Rymättylä from Pargas proper. To the south Ominaistenselkä (Ominaisfjärden) separates it from Nagu (Finnish: Nauvo). To the west are minor islands of Korpo and the island groups Iniö and Velkua.

The main island of both Rymättylä and Merimasku is Otava (since glacial rebound dried a strait), with Merimasku parish village in the north, Rymättylä parish village near the south end, and the village Röölä farthest south. On the west shore of Otava is Haapala, with a ferry to some of the islands of the western archipelago of Rymättylä. Merimasku stretches to the mainland in the north, towards Askainen (Swedish: Villnäs), which has a ferry connection to the islands of Velkua. Rymättylä continues to the south, with bridges to Airismaa, and from there a free road ferry to Aasluoto or Aasla. In summer there is a (non-free) ferry connection also farther southward, to Nagu.

City of Turku has three recreation areas on islands of Rymättylä: Pähkinäinen (Pähkinäis) in the west, Maisaari or Iso Maisaari (Majsor) south-west of Röölä and Vepsä (Vepsarn) in the east. Vepsä has a ferry from Turku, the other two are served by m/s Isla from the mainland of Rymättylä. Se Do below.



Get in and around
The main road comes in from Raisio via Naantali and the island Luonnonmaa, over the Särkänsalmi bridge. After the bridge one road leads southwards through the main islands of Rymättylä, another leads first north through Merimasku, then west to Velkua. There are local bus services from Naantali.

In the summer there are ferry connections from Nagu and Själö, part of the Archipelago Trail, and from Turku with transfer in Själö.

By car
Driving towards Turku, turn to the Turku bypass (road 40, E18) and drive to Naantali. By Naantali centre the road becomes regional road 189, goes through a tunnel, over the Ukko-Pekka bridge and over the large island Luonnonmaa as Rymättyläntie. Then comes the Särkänsalmi bridge and an embankment and you are in Merimasku. Turn right to Merimaskuntie for the parish village. There is a built-up area also around the first kilometre, with a grocery store by the lake Taattistenjärvi.

Instead continuing along Rymättyläntie you drive through Poikko and the parish village of Rymättylä, and reach Röölä at the end of the road. From Röölä Luotojentie leads farther south over Airismaa and (after a free road ferry) over Aasluoto to Hanka.

If you don't like motorways, it is also quite straight-forward to use Satakunnantie from Turku, which changes names to Raisiontie in Raisio. In Raisio centre there is a Y-fork, the left branch continuing as Raisiontie to Naantali. The road changes names to Aurinkotie. Before the centre proper, turn left to Maskuntie, drive road 40 for a short stretch and continue as above.

Coming along E8 you could choose to fork off already in Mynämäki and drive along connecting road 1930 (here Asemantie), passing Mietoinen and Askainen. Where road 1930 turns towards Velkua, continue straight along Merimaskuntie. After Merimasku parish village you hit Rymättyläntie: turn right for Rymättylä.

By bus
The main bus lines are N2, N3 from Naantali to Rymättylä, N4–N6 and 203 from Naantali to Merimasku, and N10–12 in Rymättylä (K: in the school term, KL: during school vacations). There are buses from Naantali to the Rymättylä parish village about once an hour in weekdays, thrice daily in weekends. Coming from Turku, use the frequent lines 6 or 7 and transfer in Naantali, or 203. The buses are part of the Föli cooperation, see Turku#By bus. Tickets €3/1.5, including 2-hr transfer time.

in the south end of the parish village is the hub of the (few) buses. Also (the school) east of it features in many timetables. is used for transfer to N10 to Haapala.

By ferry


In the summer there are ferry connections from Kyrkbacken in Nagu (Nauvo) and Själö (Seili) over Ominaistenselkä, part of the Archipelago Trail, to on Aasluoto and to Röölä.



There is also a ferry to the western archipelago ("Rymättylän reittialue": map).

By yacht


The main fairways to Turku and Naantali go over Ominaistenselkä and Airisto. The main boating route from Hanko to Uusikaupunki passes west of Rymättylä. See also the recreation islands below.

By taxi
See Finland Proper Check prices against what you'd expect, and check with more than one company if in doubt. Most will have to come from afar.

See




Itineraries

 * Archipelago Trail – a tourist route around the archipelago by bike, car or other means, using roads and ferries
 * Hanko to Uusikaupunki by boat – the main boating route through the Archipelago Sea.

Do



 * Herrankukkaro: lodging and programme services for groups.

Recreation islands
There are three recreation areas of City of Turku (open to anybody) on the islands, popular destinations among families. Each has a business providing services on behalf of the city.



Events

 * Herring market, June.
 * Midsummer in Pähkinäinen, oriented towards families (2021: F 21 June 19:00–).
 * 110-years anniversary of the museum mill in Röölä, 25 June 2021 14.00–
 * Herring Salsa (Sillisalsa), Röölä, 4 August 2021
 * Summer season ending festival (Muinaistulien yö), Röölä, 28 August 2021
 * Harvest Festival (Sadonkorjuujuhlat), Röölä, 18 September 2021
 * Night of the Stars (Tähtien yö), Röölä, 2 October 2021

Buy
Suomen Sillikonttori in Röölä makes pickled herring and some related products. You might find them in grocery stores.


 * "Summer shop" in Röölä.
 * "Summer shop" in Röölä.
 * "Summer shop" in Röölä.

Eat and drink
There are probably also lunch cafés in the Rymättylä parish village. Off season, check whether any tourist oriented place is open.



Sleep
The main option is a cottage. Most are booked through booking services or found by personal contacts. Not all are available for single nights. There seems to be one camping ground on the main island.

There are cottages and camping also on the recreation islands (see above).



There are a few lodging options for groups, with programme services, targeted at business team-building events and family celebrations.

Backcountry
Plenty of forest for wild camping according to the right to access in the Nordic countries. No campfires allowed without explicit permission.

Go next

 * Kustavi, by the outer archipelago towards the Bothnian Sea.