The Turku Archipelago and Archipelago Sea are diverse habitats of wildflowers, berries, mushrooms, birds and marine life. Near the shore, the air carries the scents of the Baltic Sea, wet rock, seaweed and coastal plants. The familiar “smell of the sea” is not simply salt: part of it could come from dimethyl sulfide, or DMS, a compound connected with marine microorganisms and phytoplankton. Even seabirds can use this scent as a clue when searching for food.

A few steps inland, the scent can change completely. Pine forests release aromatic compounds called terpenes. One of them, alpha-pinene, is responsible for much of the characteristic smell associated with pine trees.

Nature does not always smell rosy like perfume – not so pleasant smells are part of a living archipelago. Exploring Saaristo through scent means noticing the whole range.

Then there are the scents created by people: wood smoke, coffee, fresh linen, tarred boats, old timber buildings, food cooking in harbour restaurants and bread cooling at local bakeries.

The natural and human-made scents together create the unique scentscape we think makes our destination the best-smelling place in the world.