Seili is one of the most historically significant islands in the Turku Archipelago, Southwest Finland. For centuries it served as a hospital island — first for leprosy patients, later for those with mental illness — and that history is present in the buildings, the landscape and the particular kind of quiet that settles over the island.
Today Seili is a protected area and home to a research station that plays an important role in understanding and safeguarding the future of the entire archipelago ecosystem. Cows and sheep roam the island, the marked trails wind through old coastal forest, and two harbours frame the island on either side.
Seili Church is a historic wooden church on Seili Island, built in 1733 during the island’s time as a hospital community. Today, visitors can explore the church and learn more about Seili’s unique past through guided tours available during the summer season.
Seili's marked trails offer an easy way to explore the island’s sea views, old buildings and unique archipelago nature. Seili is also an important research island and a well-known hotspot for the study of Baltic Sea and archipelago ecosystems.
Guided tours on Seili introduce visitors to the island’s unique combination of history, nature and research. During the tour, visitors explore the historic hospital area, Seili Church and the island’s old buildings while hearing stories about Seili’s past as a leper hospital and mental asylum. The tours also highlight the island’s role today as an important research station for archipelago and Baltic Sea nature.
The historic buildings are still standing, and the island's protected status means it stays unchanged. The red church is open to visitors and worth lingering in. The marked trails lead through old coastal forest between the two harbours, passing grazing cows and sheep. Visitors are asked to stay on marked routes — the island is a protected area, and the landscape is managed accordingly.
The research station on Seili is a working scientific facility, and the work done here contributes directly to understanding and protecting the future of the archipelago as a whole.
The restaurant is open daily during summer to all visitors, day trippers and overnight guests alike. If you are staying the night, Seili becomes a genuinely different place once the last ferry has gone. It is one of the more unusual overnight experiences available anywhere in the Finnish archipelago and worth planning around if the timing works.
Accommodation
Food & drink
Outdoor & activities
Sights & culture
Seili Church
The crossing from Turku takes 1 hour 45 minutes; from Nagu 30 minutes. During summer, vessels operate daily. Services also run before and after the main summer season — check current timetables at Visit Seili.
All vessels arrive and depart from the Western harbour, approximately 700 metres from the centre of the island. No private cars are permitted on Seili — only vehicles belonging to local residents are allowed.
Travelling via Nagu is a good option if you want to shorten the boat crossing — Nagu is under 1.5 hours from Turku by both car and public transport.