Pargas (Finnish: Parainen) is a town in Finland Proper, the only real (although small) town in the Archipelago Sea.
Understand
The town has a tradition of regarding itself the capital of (the south-west part of) the archipelago. There is a wooden old town, a giant limestone quarry by the centre (origin of Nordkalk Corporation and its siblings), industry and rural country-side.
This guide is only on Pargas proper. The municipality consists of the former municipalities Pargas ("Pargas proper"), Nagu, Korpo, Houtskär and Iniö.
Pargas is in a traditionally Swedish speaking area. Because of the industry (later: proximity to Turku) there are nearly as many Finnish speaking in the town, though. The municipality is officially bilingual and you get service in both languages nearly everywhere.
As in the rest of Finland you get along in English with most people.
- Pargas tourist information (Skärgårdens Turistinformation), Strandvägen 28 (in the town hall), ☏ 358 400-117-123, ✉[email protected]. M–W 09:00–16:00, Th 09:00–17:00, F 09:00–15:00. COVID-19: On-site service needs to be booked.
Get in
- See also: Archipelago Trail
Pargas centre is some 25 kilometres from Turku by road.
The only road to Pargas is Skärgårdsvägen ("the Archipelago road", Finnish: Saaristotie, regional road 180) from Kaarina through Pargas to Korpo (Finnish: Korppoo), starting at national road 1 (E18) and crossing regional road 110, both leading from Helsinki to Turku. There is a bike route all the way from Turku, mostly following the road).
There is a ferry connection from Långnäs on Åland to Galtby in Korpo. You can continue by Skärgårdsvägen to Pargas, with two shorter ferry passages.
There are connections also from the north, at least in summer, either via Kustavi and Iniö to Houtskär or via Rymättylä to Nagu, and from there to Pargas along Skärgårdsvägen. The most convenient route is via Turku/Kaarina any part of the year, unless you are visiting some of the islands en route.
By bus
Since June 2016 most services to Pargas are by TLO. Livery for buses to Pargas centre (lines 801 and 802) is usually the same as for buses in Turku, but Föli tickets are not valid for Pargas. TLO also operates coaches going farther (lines 901–904) with a different livery (Skärgårdsbuss, "archipelago bus"). The Föli route planner includes information about lines 801–802 and 901–904, but their database on bus stops covers only part of the voyage. All lines depart from Turku bus station (may change in April 2021) and stop at either the bus or the coach stop near Turku Cathedral.
Vainion Liikenne retains the (few) services directly from Helsinki via Kaarina and Pargas farther on.
The fare Turku–Pargas is €6.20 for adults, €3.10 for children (4–12 years). Bikes can be taken on the bus if there is room, for a fee (€5).
Services from Turku:
- 801 to Pargas centre every hour, except some hours in the night, every half an hour daytime except Sundays, some more at rush hours. Uses stops for local buses. Drives via Oskarinaukio in Kaarina centre.
- 802, a rush hour express service to Pargas, along E18 and Skärgårdsvägen.
- 901–904 via Pargas to Nagu and Korpo, mostly with a transfer option to Houtskär, six to eight times a day; from Turku bus station, using stops for coaches. Drives along road 110 and Skärgårdsvägen.
There are direct connections from Helsinki a few times a week, via Kaarina and Pargas to Nagu and Korpo, by Skärgårdsvägen/Vainion liikenne. Otherwise you have to transfer in Kaarina or Turku. You might be able to avoid paying for separate tickets by buying the tickets from Matkahuolto (make sure the ticket seller knows about the transfer). Check the transfer arrangements; transfer in Turku may be possible, avoiding the 300 m walk between stops or excess waiting time, but transfer in Kaarina (by Kaarina centre or in Piispanristi) can save some time (and kilometres if you buy separate tickets).
The buses terminating in Pargas drive along Kalkvägen and through the centre, the ones going farther keep to Skärgårdsvägen except the short detour to the bus station.
- 1 Bus station (Bustis) (by the roundabout on Skärgårdsvägen, by the north end of the centre). M–F 06:00–18:00 Sa–Su closed; breakfast –10:00, warm food 10:30–17:00. Café Bustis. Matkahuolto and Post Nord service. Unmanned fuel station. Fries, burger, omelette and the like €4–12.
By boat
Pargas is a good destination also by yacht, but note the bridges. Getting to Turku via the centre of Pargas is somewhat awkward with sailing vessels, as there are long passages along narrow sounds. The nice Kyrksundet sound through the town, providing a short route to Turku, is accessible only with motorboats of moderate size (low bridges; max draught 0.8 m).
Marinas e.g.
- 2 Kalkholm (at the south end of the centre, by Kyrkfjärden), ☏ 358 2 458-1300. €20/night.
- 3 (in the sound, north of the Skärgårdsvägen bridge; max draught 1.2 m, max height 11 m). Groceries from the S market and Liedl. Fuel. Probably no overnight stay yet (?). Accessible by the fairway from middle Erstan/Airisto via Vapparn, from the north (Turku) and from the east (e.g. rounding Pargas Kyrklandet along Hässundet).
- 4 Airisto Strand (Stormälö, in the south-east end of the Erstan/Airisto body of water), ☏ 358 2 458-5945. Marina near the big fairways to Turku, by hotel Airisto Strand and a large cottage village, but otherwise in the middle of nowhere. A mile – by sea – to Skärgårdsvägen with some coach connections (the Turku–Korpo ones). Get lift by boat, car or taxi if you want to get anywhere by land and don't have bikes. €20/night.
Get around
The town itself is not too big. Most services are by the Strandvägen road or nearby, especially in the pedestrian street Köpmansgatan. Strandvägen goes along the Kyrksundet sound (in the north end separated from it by the park Centeralparken) from the roundabout on Skärgårdsvägen (the one with masts) to the marina in the south. The old town is across the sound.
There is a zone with residential areas around the centre. Some services such as sport venues, beaches and the health care centre are here, in a radius of about one kilometre.
For the area outside town the options are more or less bike, car or taxi. The buses and coaches from Turku can be used along their routes. There are also school buses and other arrangements, which you might be able to use with some detective work. Timetables for coaches, ferries, shared taxis etc. on the municipal pages.
A boat is handy for some destinations, and e.g. some recreation areas are unreachable without one. The waters of Pargas proper are sheltered, so any boat will do, except along the shores towards Erstan in the west and Gullkrona fjärd to the south.
Bikes are for rent at Hotel Kalkstrand, Café Hallonblad and Solliden Camping. At these places and at the tourist office there is a free biking map available (still? or is there a new one?), with 12 km of routes to nearby destinations such as the quarry lookout, Bläsnäs beach and the church. More comprehensive biking maps are probably for sale. There are bike roads in the town area and along Skärgårdsvägen, elsewhere you share the road with cars; the traffic is light on most roads, but speeds may be quite high (50/80 km/h) on roads leading farther.
By taxi
The 5 taxi station is in the southern end of the centre, by the market square and Kyrksundet. There is a taxi rank also at the bus station, empty most of the time.
- Pargas Taxi, ☏ 358 100 0700 (Shared cost number). Probably covers all local taxis. Uses the call centre of Taksi Länsi-Suomi and Taksi Helsinki; see Turku#By taxi
- Taxi Bengt Östman, ☏ 358 400-72-0097, 358 2 458-5009.
- Taxi Elovirna, ☏ 358 400-742-317, 358 40-558-2012.
- Taxi Leino, ☏ 358 40-541-5337.
- Pärres taxi, ☏ 358 500-843-780.
- Taksi Länsi-Suomi, iTaksi: see Turku#By taxi
- Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi
See
- 1 Pargas kyrka. Medieval church.
- 2 Gamla malmen (the old town). Wooden old town by the church.
- 3 Pargas hembygdsmuseum (the local history museum), Storgårdsgatan 13, ☏ 358 2 458-1452, ✉[email protected]. June–August Tu–Su 11:00–16:00, other times by request. €3, children under 12 free.
- 4 Pargas industrimuseum (the quarry museum), Gruvvägen 1, ☏ 358 2 458-1452, ✉[email protected]. 18 June–18 August Tue–Sun 11:00–16:00, other times by request. €3, children under 12 free.
- 5 Kalkgruvan (the limestone quarry) (view e.g. from the designated place near Pajbackavägen). 24 h daily, except around 14:00. Free.
- 6 Art Bank, Köpmansgatan 24, ☏ 358 400-524-177, ✉[email protected]. Tue–Fri 15:00–18:00, Sat 11:00–16:00, Su on request. Private fine arts gallery, certified vendor of Dalí furniture. The permanent exhibition has a collection of sculptures, furniture and paintings by Salvador Dalí and you can get a dinner in his spirit (groups, advance booking). The varying exhibitions are about contemporary art. €8.
Do
Most accommodation businesses also arrange activities.
Outdoor sports options include swimming, beach volley, golf, disk (frisbee) golf, horseback riding, boating, canoeing and fishing.
- 1 Beach volley courts (by the bus station). 24 h daily. Free.
- 2 Bläsnäs beach, Åsuddsvägen 4 (a kilometre north of the bus station). Beach, shallow and deeper part separated by pontoon. Swim jump tower (5 m), beach huts, toilets. No guards. Sailing board, sup boards, kayaks etc. for rent, but a call in advance is needed ( 358 400 531 641). Also with teacher. Quay for visiting yachts, ramp for trailered boats. Free. Kayak/board €10/hr, canoe €20/hr, with teacher €50.
- 3 Archipelagia Golf, Finbyvägen 87, ☏ 358 50-452-5300, ✉[email protected]. 18 hole golf court. Restaurant. Greenfee in season (22.6–9.8) €55/40/25.
- 4 Finby jogging/skiing route, Finbyvägen 87–89. 24h daily. 2.1 km jogging/walking route in the woods. Cross-country skiing tracks in winter, 1–10 km. Lights in evenings. Free.
For renting yachts, smaller boats and canoes, see Archipelago Sea.
Events
- Call of the old town (Gamla Malmen kallar). Festival in the old town, with garden sales, theatre and general merrymaking.
- Pargas orgeldagar, ☏ 358 40-596-8505, ✉[email protected]. 15 and 27.6–1.7.2016, mostly at 19:00, some at 12:00 or other times. Organ and chamber music festival, concerts at varying locations, some in churches. Some concerts free (program leaflet 10€), others 20,–/15,–.
- Saaristo trail. Annually, late August. Cross-country running competition, with 1, 6, 11 and 18 km routes.
Buy
Most shops can be found in Köpmansgatan, a few near the church, some by Strandgatan or farther away.
- There are three large grocery stores (K-market Reimari, S-market and Lidl) by the north part of the centre and a smaller (M-Market) in the south.
- 1 K-Supermarket Reimari, Kyrkoesplanaden 32 (by Skärgårdsvägen, 400m east of the turnabout), ☏ 358 2 454-6220. Mon–Sat 07:00–21:00, Sun 10–21 (check, might be longer now). Customer quay on Kyrksundet, accessible by motorboat (low bridges). Pharmacy. Otto ATM. Fuel station 200 m from the quay.
- 2 S-Market Parainen, Vapparvägen 3 (150m north of the turnabout). 24 hr daily; café 06:00–15:00, lunch 10:30–15.00. Café in the store, with lunch. Nosto ATM. Fuel station by Kyrksundet, with quay for boats (north of the bridges, but a power line restricts height: 11 m).
- Lidl (adjacent to the S-market). M~F 08:00-21:00 Sa 08:00-20:00 Su 10-20.
- 3 M-Market, Strandvägen 2, ☏ 358 20-700-5915 (?). Mon–Fri 7–22, Sat 8–22, Sun 9–22. Price for calls 8,35 c/call 17,17 c/min.
- R-kioski, Strandvägen 12. Kiosk. Also fishing permits and post services,
- 4 Torget (Market square by the taxi station), ☏ 358 40-589-1748. Saturday mornings, summertime also Wednesday evenings. Market. Not many sellers, but often some fish, berry and mushroom.
- Hamntorget (Kalkholm, by the guest harbour in the south end of town). Summertime Th 16:00–20:00. Market.
For souvenirs, consider e.g.
- Gullkrona, Strandvägen 16 (at the Köpmansgatan/Strandvägen fork), ☏ 358 2 454-4065, ✉[email protected]. Mon–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat 11:00–14:00. Handicraft shop. Summertime a shop also in Sattmark.
- Stentorp, Skråbbovägen 222 (6 km from the centre towards Turku, 2 km from the Archipelago road), ☏ 358 2 458-8711. Summertime 12–18, otherwise mostly by agreement. Sheep farm with quite pricey but excellent products from yarn and mittens to sheep fur coats and art. Coffee served in nice surroundings. Sheep available for caressing. Herding dog performances at some occasions.
Eat
Most restaurants are in the centre, in the pedestrian street Köpmansgatan or nearby. Consider also cafés and restaurants in the See, Buy and Sleep sections.
- 1 Kamu, Skräbbölevägen 2, ☏ 358 50 4524049.
- 2 Pargas kebab-pizzeria, Strandvägen 10, ☏ 358 2 4588880. A fast food joint.
- 3 Restaurang Malmen, Strandvägen 1, ☏ 358 2 4585555.
- 4 Venezia Pizzeria, Köpmansgatan 7, ☏ 358 2 4585112. M–Th –20:00, Fr–Su? –21:00. An Italian restaurant. Long hours.
- 5 Suntti (Marine Bar & Grill), Strandvägen 3, ☏ 358 40 0829892.
Drink
Cafés
- 1 Fredrikastugan, Fredrikaplan (by the church), ☏ 358 40-177-3020, ✉[email protected]. June and July: Sun–Thu 11.00–16.00; other times by request; large groups should announce their arrival beforehand. Museum café. Former home of Fredrika Tengström (later Runeberg; 1807–1879), writer and wife of the national poet.
- 2 Café Hallonblad, Storgårdsgatan 1 (?). Lunch weekdays 11:00–14:00. Nice café with several individually furnished rooms. Lunch €10, lunch soup €8,50.
- Café Nathalie (Köpmansgatan).
Sleep
- 1 Hotell Kalkstrand, Strandvägen 1 (in the centre, by the marina), ☏ 358 2 511-6200, ✉[email protected]. Check-in: at Harry's pub when reception closed. Hotel in Pargas centre. Single room 80€, double 100€.
- 2 Sattmarks Stuga (Sattmarkin Tupa), Sattmark 1 (9 km from the centre westwards along the Archipelago road, just after the high Sattmark bridge), ✉[email protected]. Nice café, marina for guests, fresh and smoked fish, nature path. Cabins for 1–4 persons. 20€ 12€/person, linens 10€/person.
- Pensionat Aron, Pjukala (4 km from the centre), ☏ 358 2 651-01891 (?). Single room 59€, double 85€, family room 121€.
- 3 Camping Solliden, Solstrand 7 (north of the Archipelago road, before the turnabout of Pargas centre if coming from Turku), ☏ 358 40-758-4708, ✉[email protected]. Check-out: 12:00 for cabins, 15:00 for tents and caravans. Camping, cottages for 2–10 persons, café, beach, bikes and rowing boats for rent. Tent or caravan €14/day €4/adult, €2/child (0–15), Midsummer €40 total; electricity €5; cabin €60/night (4 persons 1.6–31.8, €45 off season); bike 7,50 half day; orienteering map €5.
Connect
- Library (Pargas bibliotek), Strandvägen 28, ☏ 358 44-358-5880, ✉[email protected]. M-Th 10-19, F 10-16, Sa 10-14. Public computer, Wi-Fi, printer etc.
Area code 2. Good GSM coverage in the town. In the outer archipelago and some rural areas there may be local lack of signal.
Postal code 21600 Pargas for the town with surroundings (the area of the formal municipality).
Go next
- The Archipelago Trail, which comes from Kaarina and continues to Nagu and beyond. A good way to see the archipelago without boat, using the ferries instead. By bike, car or bus.