Kobba Klintar

Before you arrive at Mariehamn by boat, there is a place you’re going to see. It’s a group of islets that seem to be the first glimpse of land, and even though there is a white pyramid there, this is not part of a fever dream. This is Kobba Klintar, an old pilot station that was used to assist the ships arriving in the capital of the Åland Islands.

We had the pleasure of exploring Kobba Klintar back in June of 2015, and the experience was so fantastic that we can still remember everything we saw there today. From the beautiful rocky island to the particular architecture, from the tiny islets around Kobba Klintar to the enormous ships to come close. This place is perfect for a short photography trip since it’s gorgeous and located less than 20 minutes away from Åland capital, Mariehamn.

But, before you start wondering about this, we will tell you what can you see and do at Kobba Klintar.

For such a small island, there is quite a lot to do in Kobba Klintar. From the main building that houses a large fog horn that still works and was used to alert ships that were getting to close to the rocky beaches. To the occult looking replica of the old beacon from the 1860s. This pyramid-shaped building is a copy of the original one that was demolished back in the 1950s but it has a weird aura to it. Something that you can only feel when you enter a white pyramid building in the middle of the sea between Sweden and Finland.

There are also some sculptures around the island. Most of them were erected by Juha Pykäläinen between 2002 and 2007, and they make the island more interesting for pictures. But the main highlight here is the beautiful nature that formed this place.

From Kobba Klintar you have an unobstructed view of the sea in the direction of Sweden, and you can see as far as your eyes can see, and the weather allows you to. It was a gorgeous summer day when we visited the island, and we got even luckier since we were there at the right time to see the ferries between Stockholm and Turku passing by. The ships pass by so close that it feels weird to see how big they really are.

How can you arrive there?

Kobba Klintar isn’t that far away from Mariehamn and, since the place is an island, there are only two ways to get there: a boat or swimming. But we don’t advise on the swim since the water there is really cold. If you’re going to Kobba Klintar with your own boat, we learned that you should anchor it at Kobba Klintar’s harbor.

If you are like us and don’t have a boat, you should take any of the regular excursions from Mariehamn to Kobba Klintar. They often happen in the summer months, between June and August. If you’re interested in that, you should take a look at this website.

If you want to learn more about Kobba Klintar, you should take a look at Kobba Klintars Vänner that is the volunteer organization that takes care and preserve the island. Besides that, Visit Åland has a lot of information about the place.