Jurmo Island is the last above-ground part of the Salpausselkä ridge system, which traverses Finland. It is a nearly treeless moraine heath, an island of fairy tales and pirate stories. The wide heather heaths and their rocky shores are an ideal habitat for many rare sea birds. During the spring and autumn migrations, Jurmo is one of the best places for bird-watching in the Archipelago. The island also has an ornithological station maintained by the Ornithological Society of Turku (tly.yhdistysavain.info, in Finnish).

Moorland landscape with low-growing junipers and heather.

Directions and Maps

Jurmo Island is located in the municipality of Pargas. Jurmo Island can only be reached by boat.

  • Coordinates Euref-Fin (~ WGS84) lat: 59° 49.7114' lon: 21° 36.2598'  ETRS-TM35FIN: N: 6644634 E: 197708
  • Nautical chart series: D
  • Nautical chart: 715, 24

By Public Transportation

  • There are ferry services from Mondays to Saturdays to Jurmo from Pärnäinen in Nagu with M/S Baldur (meritie.fi).

Boating Trips


Services

Jurmo Nature Information Hut

  • The nature information hut, built in 1999, houses an exhibition on the history and nature of Jurmo Island.
  • Hut is open year-round and it is free-of-charge.
  • There is no staff at the nature information hut.

Two wooden nature huts in the sunshine.


The Excursion Harbour

  • Harbour number: 802
  • Depth: 1,0 - 2,5 m
  • Buoys, anchor

Other Services

  • There are several walking trails on the island. The tips of the island belong to the national park. The western part may not be accessed at bird nesting time, from 1 April to 31 July.
  • The camping and campfire site of the national park are located in the vicinity of a village harbour in Moringharu.
  • In the harbour, there is fish on sale, a small shop and a café, water point and a toilet, as well as a recycling point maintained by the Keep the Archipelago Tidy association.
  • Cottage accommodation can be inquired about from the locals.
  • There are no special accessible services in the island.

History of Jurmo

The archeological remains of Jurmo are among the best-known attractions in the Archipelago. In the land register, the first entries on the village of Jurmo are from 1540. The island has four stone rings called ‘munkringar', i.e. ‘monk's rings'. The purpose of these rings is unknown, but they are thought to have been connected with grazing or to boat crews spending their nights on the island during seasonal fishing. Remains of buildings can also be seen on the island. These are considered to be the remains of chapels.

Other sights include an old windmill, the Jurmo graveyard and a chapel from 1846. Those interested in military history can find remains of a Russian airfield from the period of World War I. Old traditions and a traditional way of life have remained on the island, and the village of Jurmo continues to be inhabited all year round.

112 Emergency Number

If you have an emergency during your trip, such as getting lost, injured or finding a wildfire, call 112. Read more detailed emergency instructions.

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Download the 112 Finland application (112.fi) to your phone. When an emergency call is made through the 112 Finland application, the emergency centre attendant is automatically informed of the caller's location.

It is recommended to keep the mobile phone warm and to bring extra food and water with you. There are many excursion locations with no mobile coverage and some mobile phones does not work in sub-zero temperatures, that is why it is always a good idea to let someone know about your itinerary and timetable.

Outdoor Etiquette

A cartoon picture of a family walking on a summer path.

1. Respect nature.

2. Mainly use marked trails.

3. Camp only where it is allowed.

4. Light your campfire only where it is allowed.

5. Do not litter.

Read more