Utö is the southern most inhabited location in Finland and upon my arrival on the island, I felt that I had traveled to the edge of the earth.
In total, Utö has a population of 30 full-time all-year-round residents and I was quick to notice that I was the only international tourist for the duration of my stay.
This unique region of Finland is a whole different world. The images below are the result of my exploration of this beautiful, isolated island.
1
Docking up to the island of Utö by using the local (free!) commuter ferry.
2
Walk out past the lighthouse and towards the southern point of the island where the shipwreck memorial is located and enjoy an Utö Island sunset show.
3
Chopping Finnish wood, ready for the Sauna fire.
Intermission
4
The sparse Utö local residences.
5
The Utö lighthouse has been around since 1753 and is the oldest standing lighthouse in Finland. The Utö lighthouse is the iconic symbol of the island and used to be a community hub amongst the islanders due to its size.You can even find a church on the top floor.
6
The island of Utö is so remote it can almost feel like your walking on Mars. A local boat comes every few days to connect the island with the mainland.
7
Fishing boats and smoke houses.
Intermission
8
A monument to remember the shipwrecks that have happened around the island of Utö. Today, shipwrecks are rare as Finnpilots who live on the island of Utö help to guide international ships through the Finnish archipelago waters. The old wrecks, however, make wonderful scuba diving locations.
9
The only shop that can be found on the island of Utö. It's open Monday to Saturday, 12:00-14:00pm.
10
Enjoying the guest house view over the island of Utö. No cars can be found on the island and visitors use wheelbarrows to transport luggage from the boat dock to the guest house.