The small but beautiful island of Tankar can be found in the outer archipelago in the south of the Bay of Bothnia. The island was inhabited as early as the 16th century by fishermen and seal hunters. Up to 100 fishermen and their families could live on the island in the summer, though I’m not sure anyone would want to be there in winter!
These days tourists flock to the island in the summer months. My friend Graeme and I joined them aboard M/S Jenny on the 1.5 hour journey across the water, from Kokkola to Tankar, one sunny day in June. The 177-seater ship has a cafe onboard with refreshments, snacks and ice creams, but there is also a cafe on Tankar Island. We took our own picnic but did grab a drink onboard M/S Jenny.
On our visit, M/S Jenny docked at Tankar Island at 12.30pm, giving us three hours to explore the island before sailing back to Kokkola at 3.30pm. The weather was perfect! Very warm and with just a little breeze.
The red and white lighthouse is the landmark feature of this rugged island. This iron lighthouse stands in the middle of the island, with the lantern 27.5 metres above ground level. When it was first lit in October 1889, the lighting element was one of the most powerful of its time and its beam carried for 13 nautical miles. It was converted to electrical operation in 1961, which more than doubled its range of the beam to 27.5 nautical miles, making it one of Finland’s brightest lighthouses.
Tankar lighthouse is only open on certain days of the year, however, due to the lighthouse still being in operation, the lens system is closed to the public. Graeme and I did not go on a tour of the lighthouse as just the thought of climbing the 122-step spiral staircase made my legs turn to jelly, let alone attempting to climb it!
Tankar church was built in 1754. This small wooden church was built so that the fishermen would not have to make the long trip to a church on the mainland every Sunday. The church originally stood on the site of the lighthouse but was moved in 1889 so construction on the lighthouse could begin. The church is beautifully preserved and is open for visitors during the summer months.
It is possible to stay overnight on Tankar Island and I would love to go back and do this sometime! You can stay at the Tankar Inn Hostel (at the Pilot Station), the Lighthouse Master’s House or the Guest Cabin (a typical fisherman’s hut).
There is much to see on this little Finnish island and I hope I get to go and see it again one day.
M/S Jenny resides in the port at Meripuisto on the edge of the coastal town of Kokkola in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland. There is plenty of free parking, a beach, a playground, a picnic area, a burger restaurant and a camping ground.
Our trip to Tankar Island cost us 22 euros each for a return journey (though prices vary during the season). Tickets can be booked online, along with pre-ordering a soup meal from the cafe on the island, if you wish.
I’d forgotten about the tilted toilet
It looks like a great summer retreat. Beautiful blue skies.
What an incredible and unique place to visit, Nikki. I totally get it that you would not mind to stay there for an overnight and explore much. Can you image the lighthouse at night, the sunset and even sunrise. Thank you for sharing your adventure and the wonderful pictures with us. That tilted outhouse made me smile, I would just sit behind it ;)…..
I would LOVE to see the lighthouse at night! Apparently, it looks best when there’s a tiny bit of rain or fog.
Your Finland photos and blogs are fabulous, Nikki. They’re really making me consider holidaying up there in future now, I wouldn’t have thought about going North before!
I would definitely recommend a visit to Finland. There’s so much to see and do there all year round!
What an amazing place to visit and explore. The church’s interior is absolutely beautiful. The lighthouse is stunning. A truely nice place to spend a weekend there. Thanks for the nice tour.
I like all the wooden structures and the simple design inside the church is lovely! That outhouse looks awfully precarious!
Gorgeous pics!
What a great place (well, apart from the outside toilet..)
…thank you Nikki for taking me along to see the sights. It’s very unlikely that I will go there, it looks like a wonderful destination.
It looks very attractive – apart from the leaning loo!
A beautiful island, wow! I am here via Derrick Knight’s blog.
Thanks for popping by and leaving a comment. It’s always nice to have new visitors.
Some wonderful summer pictures.
Wow, it looks like you had an incredible time! Thank you for sharing such beautiful photos, I would love to visit one day!
Your photos gave me a sense of what the area was probably like at an earlier point in time. Thanks for sharing your visit, Nikki.
Absolutely quaint and darling,Nikki, and a place I think all of us would love to visit! As Astrid (my wife) says, I can imagine going there for at least one overnight, if not more, just to get the feel of such a “primitive” setting.
It would definitely be quite the experience, I think!
Such a serenely beautiful island, Nikki! Love the tipsy toilet shot, but I probably would climb the lighthouse, in spite of aching legs.
My fear of heights would never let me!
The island is beautiful, all those wooden buildings are gorgeous. I’d love to visit this place.
That’s such a quaint and enchanting island. I love the photos you chose to share in this post – so many cool angles and depth of field you captured. Stunning! I can see why you’d want to go back again and explore more.
Thank you for such a wonderful comment!
You certainly packed a lot into your Finland visit. Tankar Island looks beautiful, not sure about that loo though.
I certainly did, though I still didn’t have time to do everything I wanted to!
What an adorable place. Especially love the lighthouse! The leaning lavatory is so funny. Hope you get to stay on the island one day, wouldn’t that be amazing.
I hope so too!
What a fantastic place, Nikki! I’ve got a penchant for red and white light striped lighthouses, and the wooden houses and church are absolutely adorable. I even love the leaning loo 🙂 Thank you for sharing your delightful trip! xxx
There’s just something about red and white lighthouses, isn’t there?
It’s charming and almost from another era. Stress leaves our bodies in places like this.
Everyone will remember that toilet picture, Nikki, but it was wonderful to see sights I would never see otherwise, thank you
What a charming island. Looks like you had fabulous weather to enjoy the sights and explore around. Your pictures are beautiful.
The weather was glorious the whole time I was in Finland. I certainly didn’t need the hoodies I had packed in case of cooler weather!
Oh, that toilet! But the island looks so serene and beautiful. I love how the lighthouse is the perfect backdrop to everything.
What a lovely island. Beautiful photos!
Lovely photographs, it looks a wonderful place to visit.
wow, what a stunning place to visit, I agree with not wanting to be out there in the winter