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Eckerö is the westernmost part of the Åland Islands, closest to Sweden. The island is well developed in tourism, especially for families with children. Some 900 people live here, and the island is connected with the rest of the Åland mainland by a bridge over Marsund. Eckerö has always been an outpost to the Åland sea and the Swedish mainland across the sea. The Eckerö Linjen cruise ship brings thousands of passengers and cars to and from Åland, departing from Berghamn. Near to the harbour, the impressive Post and Customs House reminds visitors of the time when Åland and Finland were part of the Russian empire.
Most visitors arrive in Eckerö with the cruise ship M/S Eckerö, sailing several times per day between Grisslehamn in Sweden and Berghamn in Eckerö. The island natives are also keen travelers, going by this ship to and from Sweden. The journey takes 2 hours across the Åland Sea. Onboard they serve Scandinavian smörgåsbord buffet, á la carte and other food. The ship has a large duty free shop where you can buy hard liquor, wine, perfumes and more.
From the Berghamn port you'll soon reach the Storby village, which is where most people in Eckerö live. The village offers accommodation in the form of hotels and bed & breakfast. It also has some cafés, the sports centre Eckeröhallen, a gas station and a street grill. North from Storby sprawls the large resort Käringsund, with a hotel, camping, restaurant and visitors marina.
This museum is by the harbour in Käringsund, open for visitors during the period from mid-May until the beginning of September. Here you can learn through the exhibitions how hunting and fishing have always been an important part of Ålandic history and culture – all since the first seal hunters set up camp here as far back as the stone age. Fish is still to this day our largest export.
Among the interesting things in the museum there are high calibre seal muskets, a home made motor sled, as well as a lot of fun stuff for the kids, including a salmon fishing boat, "Kid's herring market", and a nature trail.
This is one of the most important historical buildings in Åland, open for the public during day hours from the beginning of May until the end of September. The building was erected by the Russian rulers after Finland and Åland were seceded from Sweden to Russia after the 1809 war.
The building is made in imperial architectural style, with a purpose to show off, since Eckerö became the Russian Czar's most Westerly border. Construction was finished in 1828. Today it hosts a postal museum, with exhibitions showing how the mail was transported between Finland and Sweden by small boat crews, sailing and rowing to get across the seas.
In the Southern tip of Eckerö lies the sandy beach Degersand. Sand beaches are quite rare around Åland, so this award winning beach is worth a visit. The beach hosts Degersand Resort, with cabins, camping grounds, and a restaurant with a beach bar. And not the least: a wood fired sauna by the beach. The road out to Degersand is quite long, but it has tarmac, making biking there comfortable.
Eckerö is one of the most child friendly destinations in Åland, with many efforts being made for them to have fun. In the Eckerö Hall in Storby you'll find Leklandet indoor playing field, with inflatable castles, sumo wrestling, and other fun for children and childish people of all ages. The grown-ups can sit in the café and have a snack.
If the weather is nice, you can have some outdoors fun for the kids at Smart Park. Here the kids can splash around in pedal boats looking like mini editions of the big cruise ships. The park also has laser tag, a climbing castle, the mega sand box "Plastoland", as well as interactive indoor games, cross kart, hydraulic excavators, and much more stuff.
There's an 18 hole golf course in Eckerö, not far away from the port in Berghamn. The course suits everybody from beginners and juniors, to elite athletes. They also have a driving range, as well as accommodation.
At Käringsund Game Safari, you can ride in their tractor pulled safari trolley and have chance to see wild boars, ostriches, fallow deers, llamas, as well as red deers – the heraldic animal of the Åland Islands. Although red deers do not appear in the wild fauna anymore here. The safari is open for visitors during summer months.
