• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Time Travel Turtle

A travel blog with stories beyond the brochure

  • HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • BY COUNTRY
    • WEST EUROPE
      • Belgium
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Ireland
      • Liechtenstein
      • Luxembourg
      • Netherlands
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Switzerland
      • Wales
    • NORTH EUROPE
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • Latvia
      • Lithuania
      • Norway
      • Sweden
    • SOUTH EUROPE
      • Cyprus
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Holy See
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Portugal
      • San Marino
      • Spain
    • EAST EUROPE
      • Austria
      • Belarus
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Hungary
      • Montenegro
      • Poland
      • Serbia
    • NORTH ASIA
      • China
      • Japan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Mongolia
      • North Korea
      • Tajikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • SOUTH ASIA
      • Cambodia
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Myanmar
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Sri Lanka
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • Antigua & Barbuda
      • Belize
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • USA
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
    • AFRICA
      • Egypt
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
    • OCEANIA
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • Jordan
      • Turkey
  • MOST POPULAR
    • The world’s oldest backpacker
    • Orangutans in Borneo
    • The need for speed
    • Trying to get out of the slum
    • The lake swamped with tourism
    • Journey into Dreamland
    • The village where life begins again
    • Is Cambodia safe for travellers?
    • Making the perfect gin and tonic
  • UNESCO

Finland’s little Maakalla Island

December 7, 2021 | Michael Turtle | 12 Comments

ISLAND LIFE

Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland

The small church on the island looks like a ship. Made all of wood, the beams supporting the roof could almost be the ribs of a hull. The ends of the building taper into the familiar shapes of a bow and a stern.

It’s no surprise the church on the small Finnish island of Maakalla would look like this. It was built by fishermen and shipmakers on a small outcrop of land where they were pretty much the only human life for miles around.

Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland
Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland

Scratched into a wooden beam in the church is the number 1780 – the year the building was erected. Back then, Maakalla island was busier than it is today.

Back then, the fishing industry was dominated by small enterprises who needed to be based away from Finland’s mainland for months on end to do their work. The rows of seats in the church are squeezed so tightly together the island’s parishioners needed to perch with their legs tucked under the bench to fit.

Now it is mostly empty.

Only one full time fisherman still lives on Maakalla, about 15 kilometres off the Finnish coast from the town of Kalajoki. It’s a relatively small island – only about 20 hectares.

It may be the largest in the area but when I climb to the top of a viewing tower in the island, I can spin around and easily see the shoreline in every direction. It takes only a few minutes to walk from one side to the other.

Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland
Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland

There are 40 fishing huts still on the island. Some are used by those bringing in a catch – even if they don’t live here most of the time.

Some are rented out for holidaymakers. Some are just maintained for the sake of it.

Skulls hanging outside one of the small huts are a tribute to former seal hunting days – I assume it’s more about heritage than nostalgia.

Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland
Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland

There’s no electricity on Maakalla Island, no fresh water supply, nowhere to buy food if you run out (except for fresh fish, of course).

It would never have been an easy life for those living here in the past and it hasn’t got any more convenient for those who choose to stay overnight these days.

Most tourists who visit (and, admittedly, very few do) come by boat from the mainland for an hour or two. You don’t need too long here.

Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland

My guide is Kaisa-Leena Korhonen, who once ran a small inn on a nearby island that we can see across the water.

Her husband, Unto, is the boat driver and on the island they prepare a morning tea for us with coffee and herrings that were pulled from the water this morning, smoked, and served still hot.

Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland
Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland

Eating the herrings on an island which has human development on it for the sole purpose of fishing is fitting. But it’s also slightly eerie.

Walking between the huts, along the rocky paths, with the crashing sounds of waves, you can feel the isolation. Seeing the empty rooms through the windows, you can feel the loneliness.

It’s slightly sad but the residents of Maakalla have moved on with the world. I’m glad they’ve left their memories behind.

Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland
Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland
Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland
Maakalla Island, Kalajoki, Finland

Time Travel Turtle was supported by Visit Finland but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Cacinda Maloney |

    September 23, 2014 at 10:00 pm

    Reply

    Those are some gorgeous photos you have there!

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 26, 2014 at 1:00 pm

      Reply

      It was a pretty gorgeous place, though, wasn’t it? It had such a crisp haunting feel that I wanted to try and capture that in the images.

  2. Renuka |

    September 24, 2014 at 6:37 am

    Reply

    Beautiful pictures. I love that cute wooden home. Its windows are so pretty! Beautiful island! How can I get there? 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 26, 2014 at 12:57 pm

      Reply

      Great question about how to get there. I’ll update the story with some of those details.

  3. L |

    September 24, 2014 at 12:09 pm

    Reply

    amazing photographs you shoot! Where do you look for inspirations for such places? I love this ambient of past

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 26, 2014 at 12:56 pm

      Reply

      Thanks! I think it makes things interesting to find the places that are slightly off the usual tourist path. Something doesn’t have to be famous to be beautiful.

  4. Heather |

    September 24, 2014 at 1:10 pm

    Reply

    Wow, I can’t imagine what life would be like on such an isolated little island. The photos are hauntingly beautiful!

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 26, 2014 at 12:54 pm

      Reply

      I guess it would be a very quiet and solitary life. Sometimes I think that would be nice for a week or so – not sure I could do it all the time!!

  5. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    September 27, 2014 at 7:27 am

    Reply

    Wow, a very interesting place to visit! The dark sky even goes with the mood you describe that is easy to feel with your pictures. Thanks for sharing this trip!

  6. Jade |

    September 27, 2014 at 10:09 am

    Reply

    What a beautiful spot! Your photos really capture the ambiance. It would be a great place to really feel isolated.

  7. Theloniousa |

    November 1, 2015 at 8:00 pm

    Reply

    Nice story and gorgeous pictures! Thank you!

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 7, 2015 at 10:48 am

      Reply

      Thanks so much. I appreciate you stopping by!

Primary Sidebar

This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

Want Occasional Updates?

Sign up to be the first to hear the latest about the adventures of Time Travel Turtle. You'll also get access to special offers and exclusive news.
Thank you! You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

Search

  • PRIVACY POLICY