We spend a lot of our summer weekends and holidays at our summer cottage in the archipelago. Pörtö, is a group of islands about 30km from Helsinki.

The name Pörtö is from the 1750’s and before that it was called Pyrtis. The word “Pört” is a sort of small cabin and “ö” means island. In the 1800’s the locals usually had two jobs, fishing and pilotage, since there was a piloting station in Pörtö. Söderskär’s lighthouse was built in 1862 on the island of Mattlandet, because of increased sea traffic from the east. In 1957 the lighthouse was automated and in 1989 it was shut down. The lighthouse is privately owned since 2003, but can still be visited through guided tours. The Pörtö area is predominantly swedish speaking.

In 1902 the school on Pörtö island was built. Before that, children went to an ambulating school. Today the building and its surrounding area is used for different local events like swimming school, photo galleries, markets and as a small shop.

A unique feature in our archipelago is the “store boat” Christina, which visits Pörtö and the surrounding islands a few times a week during the summer months. It is the only remaining “store boat” in Finland. We call it the “Ice cream boat”.

The ship M/S J.L. Runeberg, built in 1912, was originally a steamboat that has its main route from Helsinki to Porvoo. Equipped with facilities for leisure, dining and meetings, it’s a great way to see the archipelago. It stops by Pörtö from time to time.