Velkua

Velkua is an island group and former municipality in the Archipelago Sea, Finland Proper. The islands have a large number of summer cottages.

Understand

Velkua consists of a few larger islands (Palva, Velkuanmaa, Teersalo, Salavainen ja Kettumaa) and some 300 smaller ones. Nine islands have year-round inhabitants. The island Livonsaari, with bridge connection to the mainland, is shared with Askainen (but nowadays belong to Naantali in its entirety). Teersalo, the biggest village beside the parish village and the one with most services, is at the southern tip of this island.

History

Velkua got its own church and became a chapel of the Taivassalo parish in 1793. The wooden church still stands. As the profane administration was separated from the parishes. Velkua become a municipality in 1863. It was consolidated with Naantali in 2009, together with Merimasku and Rymättylä. It had long been the smallest Finnish-speaking municipality of Finland, with only nearby Iniö and a few municipalities on Åland being smaller. At the merger, the population was 264. In contrast, there are 1,700 people with summer cottages on the islands.

Get in and around

🌍 Teersalo is reached from the north-east by roads 1930 and 1931 from Mynämäki on E8, via Mietoinen and Askainen (road 1931 continues as Velkuantie where road 1930 turns east towards Merimasku centre. The road begins on E8 as Asemantie just south of Mynämäki centre and changes names a few times along the route.

From the east, road 189 leads from Raisio via Naantali and over Luonnonmaa. In Merimasku there is a junction with road 1930 (here Merimaskuntie), which leads through Merimasku centre and as Rauduistentie to the Velkuantie junction. Distance from Turku is 45 km, from Naantali 30 km.

From Kustavi in the north-west, with ferry connections from Åland and Iniö, there is a road connection via Taivassalo and Askainen (crossroads with road 1930 in Mietoinen), and a ferry of the Archipelago Trail from 🌍 Hakkeenpää, at the south end of Taivassalo, to Teersalo. The latter service is probably available only in summer, and does not take cars (bikes and motorcycles are servised).

Teersalo has a road ferry connection to Padva, the main island, and there is a second short road ferry passage to Velkuanmaa. The other main islands are served by a ship-like ferry, with quays in Teersalo and Hakkenpää (in Taivassalo).

By bus

As part of Naantali, Velkua is part of the Föli cooperation, which means it can be reached with a local bus ticket from Turku, with transfer in Naantali and possibly in Merimasku. See Föli timetables. Lines 6 and 7 go to Naantali, some Naantali-internal N lines to Merimasku and Velkua. Lines 201 and 203 drives all the way from Turku to Velkua

You can also come by coach: get off the coach from Uusikaupunki towards Turku at the Lemu junction ("Lemu th") and transfer to the coach to Velkua/Teersalo, both by Vainion liikenne. See timetables (Turku—Lemu—Askainen—Velkua) or use the Matkahuolto service.

By ferry

Some of the departures are by request only: night departures of the road ferries, marked with an asterisk, are to be requested by calling the Teersalo–Padva ferry, preferably an hour before departure. Port calls of Kaita/Kivimo marked with "x" are made only when needed (tell at boarding), those marked with "y" must be ordered the preceding day. If you need your car aboard, call ahead also otherwise to reserve a slot.

By boat

There is a guest jetty by the parish village, close to the inner route of the main leisure fairways through the Archipelago Sea. There is a direct 2.1 m fairway from Naantali (16.5 m bridge in Merimasku).

There is a guest marina by the Teersalo ferry quay. All Teersalo services in reach. Another marina is on Velkuanmaa: Vaihela (see Sleep below).

By taxi

See
  • 🌍 Velkua Church (Pyhän Henrikin kirkko), Palvan kirkkotie 21. at events and by agreement. Wooden church from 1793. Accessible by wheelchair. Guided tours by agreement with Visit Naantali (☏ +358 2 435-9800, ). (updated Jun 2021)
  • 🌍 Haukka Farm (Haukan tila) (Salavainen: m/s Kaita from Teersalo, to Vähämaa (Rauhala/Salavainen), then 1.5 km by road), ☏ +358 2 252-5730, . Farm and museum, with production of beef and eternelles (dried flowers). In old days fishing and small scale seafaring, later fishing, agriculture and forestry. Standard guided tours 1½–2 hr, other options for a visit possible, such as a 1.5 km nature trail in demanding terrain. Call in advance. Standard tour €12/person. 

Do
  • Ilkka Puonti, ☏ +358 50-3016-370. Guided tours: the archipelago, nature trails, the church. 
  • Teersalo beach, Sauniementie 5. 

Buy

Eat
  • Old Smuggler (Wanha salakuljettaja) (Teersalo, by the guest marina). Pizza, burgers and salads. Children welcome. Pizza €17, salad €18, burger €20, snacks €10–20; children €7. 
  • Rantaklubi (Teersalo harbour), ☏ +358 2 252-5927. Shop Tu–Sa 10:00–17:00, bar Tu–Th 10:00–17:00, F–Sa 10:00–18:00; M Su closed. Restaurant and small general store ("nearly anything" by request). Also fuel. Sausage with pommes €10, salad or burger €15, other dishes €20–30. 

Drink
  • 🌍 Café Laituri, Voiponlahdentie 37 (Palva, 1.4 km south-west from the church by road; by boat: reachable from east and west, there is a rock below the surface, marked by floats, near the visible one), ☏ +358 44-337-9913. Daily 11:00–19:00 and by agreement. Café. Guest jetty (depth 1.5 m). 

Sleep
  • 🌍 Livonsaari Caravan, Pohjanpääntie 250 (Askainen, north part of Livonsaari), ☏ +358 40-500-4401. 10:00–21:00. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Caravan and tent site (tents allowed also by the caravans, with electricity), cottages (June–September). Caravan/tent €17+€4/person (over 1 years), electricity +€5/7; cottage €50–60, linen +€10/set; sauna €5/person or €17/hr; rowing boat €8/hr; laundry €4/machine, drying machine +€5. 
  • 🌍 Pursihuvilat (Raissiluoto: ferry connection m/s Kaita from Teersalo, to Vähämaa (Rauhala/Salavainen), then 5 km by road over Vähämaa and Salavainen to Raissiluoto, and a bit farther along the road), ☏ +358 50-529-4118 (Susanna), . Large cottages (8+2 persons). Dish washer, laundry machine, Wi-Fi, water toilet. private sauna. On-site water potgable, but not tasty: bring your own. Small outboard boat included (fuel charged). Pets allowed in one of the two cottages. Natur trail through Kairanmetsä on Salavainen (3 km). €270–350/day, weekend (F–Su) €350–430, week €750–1000; linen €10/13 per set, cleaning €100. 
  • Teersalo marina (Teersalo, by Smugglers'), ☏ +358 2 252-5888, . Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Toilet, shower, sauna, kitchen. Laundry and dish washing facilities. Shop and fuel nearby. Event area nearby: handly if you are participating, avoid Saturdays otherwise. Cottages (linen included, shared facilities; no pets). Harbour fee €23; cottage €60+; sauna €28/hr. 
  • 🌍 Vaihela, Velkuanmaantie 168 (in the Vaihela village by the east shore of Velkuanmaa), ☏ +358 40-737-7240 (bookings), +358 44-737-7623 (restaurant), . Specialises in family holidays on one hand (no family rooms though), and conferences and training events on the other. The hotel rooms have en suite bathrooms and balcony or door to the patio. Plentiful breakfast. Marina visits include water, electricity, showers and toilets, barbecue, and morning self-service sauna, breakfast can be ordered before 21:00. Check services off season and in rainy days. Live music F–Sa nights mid-May–August, dance nights some Thursdays. Hotel €135, extra bed €35, pets €25; Onnela €70; rooms include breakfast; private sauna €30–45/hr. (updated Jun 2021)

Backcountry

On most islands you should be able to pitch your tent in the wood. You won't be too far from people, so don't be messy or loud, and don't leave traces of your visit. There is probably no water in the wild, other than that from the sea, which might do in a pinch (unless there are cyanobacteria).

Cope
  • 🌍 Service centre Kummeli, Sauniementie 3 (Teersalo), ☏ +358 40-900-0863 (service point), +358 40-900-0863 (library). Library and post services M–F 10:00–15:00. Local service centre of the municipality, with library and health care. Co-located with some non-municipal services, including basic pharmacy services, and postal services 

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