About the section
Section Finnhamn is like a beautiful flower.
You have a clear central point in the form of the hostel, the restaurant and the convenience store. From this place, there are three loops, each offering something special.
One loop is technical and close to the sea, with lovely viewpoints in the southern end. The second loop is more of a forest trail through meadows and woodland. The third loop is more on forest roads with sections of technical trail and beautiful places to the north, where you will find a working farm.
You can either do the whole section or different parts of it. You can also take advantage of the “Båtluffarleden” and row over to Kolgårdsön, which takes you further to Ingmarsö and Brottö. Everywhere, you will find beautiful places to simply be.
During the summer, there are many boating guests here.
At several points, you can return to the hostel and all its services without completing the entire route. There, you are met with a lovely atmosphere, friendly service and good food.
How to hike the section?
At Finnhamn, we start from the quay where you arrive with the Waxholm ferry.
You are immediately greeted by the restaurant and the convenience store, which are open during the summer months.
You follow the gravel road past these until you turn left to reach the hostel. For us, it feels natural to follow the first two loops clockwise and finally hike Idholmen as a figure-eight.
The gravel road through the island connects the different loops.
The first loop is around Lilla Jolpan, which you hike clockwise. Here, you will find a technical trail that winds up and down. You are in contact with the water and there are lovely rocky outcrops at the southern end.
When you return to the gravel road, make a detour south on “Sindra’s Trail” through a pasture and then down into the forest. This will take you back to the gravel road, where you cross over to Idholmen.
On Idholmen, walk counterclockwise past the farm and onto a beautiful trail with wonderful views of the sea to the north. Continue until you loop back, then head west toward Kolgårdsön. There, you will pass the rowing boats belonging to the “Båtluffarleden” before continuing south on the trail until you return to the gravel road by the nice sandy beach.
After 400 meters, take the final detour on a nice trail north until you are back near the convenience store and restaurant.
Finnhamn has it all.
The sections Finnhamn, Svartsö, Ingmarsö and Grinda fit very well together.
Trail markings
Follow the trail marked with ribbons and arrows where blue represents the sea, the yellow represents the sun, and a reflecting center line represents the shimmering horizon. This also makes the trail visible in the light of a headlamp.
The marking of the trail is done in one direction, either clockwise or anti-clockwise according to “How to hike the section?”. Where it is obvious where you should walk the marking is sporadic, where it is unclear or at intersections the marking is much closer together. If you do not see a marking continue straight on the path you are on or check out your position in the digital map.
Accessibility on the trail
At Finnhamn, there are some possibilities if you have a stroller, limited mobility, or use a wheelchair. From the quay, there is a gravel road that runs like a red line through the entire island. This road takes you not only to all the services but also to the beautiful beach, Paradisviken at Idholmen and to the farm with its farm shop.
It is 1,800 meters to the farm along the gravel road.
Common questions about Finnhamn
Finnhamn is a nature reserve which means that there are specific rules about what is allowed and what is not allowed. As an example, dogs must be on a leash year-round. On Finnhamn there are several information signs where the specific rules are clearly explained.
About Finnhamn
Finnhamn is the collective name for the three islands: Idholmen, Stora Jolpan, and Lilla Jolpan, all of which are connected.
The name comes from the time when sailing ships from Finland docked in the sheltered natural harbor at Stora Jolpan.
At Finnhamn, there is a hostel, holiday cottage rentals, a summer convenience store and a summer restaurant.
As a curiosity, the hostel is today housed in a building built in 1915 and designed by Ernst Stenhammar, the same man who designed the houses on Grinda and Fjärdlång. On the hill next to it stands the smoke stack of the original owner’s pleasure yacht as a landmark.
The farm on Idholmen helps to keep the landscape open with its grazing animals.
Finnhamn is now a nature reserve and is well-preserved thanks to the Archipelago Foundation, which owns and manages the island. Finnhamn is located in Österåker municipality.
Plan your trip
You can travel to Finnhamn from Åsättra on Ljusterö all year round, also from Stockholm City via Vaxholm. During the summer, you can take the North-South line as well. Search for Finnhamn in Google’s travel planner below.
Eat, sleep and do on Finnhamn
In Finnhamn, you can stay at the hostel, in the cottage village, or at the campsite. During the summer season, you can both eat and stay on Finnhamn. You can rent kayaks for your own excursions.
Finnhamn is known for its sheltered natural harbors and is a great starting point for exploring the surrounding islands.
If you want to continue hiking from Finnhamn, you can use “Båtluffarleden“, which takes you to Ingmarsö and Brottö.
Finnhamn, like several other islands, has two distinct sides. There is the bustling area around the restaurant with good food and activity during the summer. At the same time, it is a place where you can find wonderful tranquility.
The sunsets from the southern coast are exceptional. See explorearchipelago.se for other ideas.
The right of public access – an obligation when venturing into nature
In Sweden we have a common law called “The Right of public access”. It is fantastic to have the freedom to roam but it comes with obligations. The existence of the Stockholm Archipelago Trail is solely thanks to the goodwill of all landowners. In nature, we respect all people, all animals, and all protected areas. We leave only footprints behind and we take only memories with us.
Please take whatever garbage you generate back to the mainland where waste management works and is available. On the islands it is expensive and complicated. Please use public toilets or make sure that there is no trace left behind.
From March to September, dogs must always be kept on a leash.
Respect fire bans and absolutely do not light fires on the rocks. They crack.
Read more here