Photo: Rasmus Karppinen
10 ideas for seaside events in Espoo
Are you looking for a meeting, event or party venue in a coastal environment? Are you planning a well-being or recreational day for your work community? Head to Espoo!
Espoo has 165 islands and nearly 60 kilometres of shoreline, making it ideal for enjoying seaside activities.
Here, you can imagine yourself as a sailor and enjoy a piece of the world's largest island region without your boat. And how can you do that? Easily! Travel on the metro, ride a city bike from Matinkylä to the Nokkala boat harbour and hop on an archipelago boat. Espoo's archipelago boats travel various routes to recreational islands in summer.
See the archipelago boat timetables, routes and ports of departure.
Did you know this about marine Espoo?
- Espoo has 58 km of coastline and 165 islands, more than Hawaii!
- Most of our metro stations are less than one kilometre from the sea.
- Our coastal pride, the 40-kilometre-long Waterfront Walkway Espoon Rantaraitti, is an outdoor paradise that runs along the city's coastline, taking you from nature reserves to beaches, marinas and urban business centres. Here you can walk, cycle, swim, paddle and spend some time at cafés and restaurants. The walkway is also home to many unique corporate event venues.
1. The idyllic and secluded wooden villa of HERRÖ on Stora Herrö island
Specialised in seaside experiences, Hiiohoi Oy organises unforgettable events in Espoo. One of their most popular venues is the idyllic wooden villa of HERRÖ, located on the island of Stora Herrö in the beautiful Suvisaaristo archipelago in Espoo. HERRÖ is a perfect venue for organising various client events, company outings, meetings and parties for 5-35 persons.
And how to get there? Espoo's archipelago boat travels to Stora Herrö island, but we recommend booking a private boat because you cannot pre-book the city's boat service. The personnel of HERRÖ will help you arrange a private boat for the trip. Depending on the vessel, the journey from Helsinki city centre to HERRÖ takes approximately 30–60 minutes. From the shores of the Suvisaaristo archipelago in Espoo, the trip takes only 10–20 minutes.
About HERRÖ
- Suitable for 5–35 people
- Open from the break-up of ice until the end of December
- One table accommodates 26 people
- Large seaside sauna
- HERRÖ's catering
- Private water bus and swimming jetty
- HERRÖ is ideal for many fun activities, including beer tasting, RIB boat trips, meditation and sailing competitions
2. Water Sports Centre Laguuni – Good vibe guarantee for groups!
Laguuni is Finland's largest water sports centre and floating restaurant located in the urban environment of Keilaniemi. At Laguuni, you can try wakeboarding, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), a water trampoline, kayaking or e-biking – or even all these activities! Laguuni offers expert advice and guidance, and its activities suit people of all experience levels.
Laguuni's group days guarantee a fantastic vibe – if you feel like the day did not make you smile, they will find a way to make it up to you!
Laguuni's services for groups
- Pre-booked events, company outings, bachelor/bachelorette parties and friend groups of up to 300 people.
- Floating sauna for 20 people, the steam room accommodates 6–8 people at a time.
- Floating meeting/fireplace room for approximately 15 people The meeting room offers a widescreen display and catering possibility (coffee/meals).
- We recommend SUP polo and wakeboarding to groups!
- Catering from Laguuni’s own restaurant, Plägä.
3. Day trip to Pentala Island
Photo: Tommi Heinonen
Located in the archipelago of Suvisaaristo, the island of Pentala is one of Espoo's natural treasures and a popular day trip destination. Here, you can visit the Pentala Archipelago Museum and learn about life in the archipelago. A day trip involves spending time in nature and enjoying lunch or dinner on an idyllic island.
We recommend booking one of the thematic guided museum tours. During the active Life on the island tour, you can test your fisherman's skills, pet sheep and take a group photo in the spirit of the early 1900s.
A nature trail that starts from the museum area takes visitors to enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Pentalanjärvi and the sandy Diksand beach. Do not forget to bring your swimsuit!
For lunch or dinner, we recommend the delicacies of the Restaurant Paven. The menu is full of fresh flavours. In addition to the beautiful pavilion, you can enjoy the restaurant's dishes on the spacious terrace or as a take-away on your boat.
You can also visit Café Pentala, open in summer, and enjoy tasty snacks.
Pentala's services for groups
- Group visits to the museum
- Restaurant Paven offers and venue for meetings, dinners and private events. In the banqueting hall and veranda combined, the total capacity of Paven is 100 people.
- Meeting room Villa Rosengård, located in the museum's main building, has facilities for ten people.
- Café Pentala and museum shop
Arriving Pentala and Paven
One of Espoo's archipelago boats travels to Pentala. In addition, Paven has its water-bus service on Thursday evenings in weeks 26–32 in the summer of 2022. Restaurant Paven also has a charter boat service, and departures can be from locations such as the Helsinki Market Square, Kaivopuisto or Espoo's different harbours. Depending on the number of people, you can choose between a water taxi, water bus, sailing boat or RIB boat.
We recommend the charter boat service to larger groups because you can't make pre-booking to the city's boats, and on sunny days they reach total capacity quickly.
Check out also the archipelago museum's tips for travelling to Pentala.
4. Thematic RIB boat trips
Sea Adventures Finland organises thematic trips in the archipelago of Espoo, Sipoo, Kirkkonummi, Inkoo and Helsinki. These seaside trips are ideal company outing activities and easy to include in a meeting day.
You have an unobstructed 360-degree view of the archipelago from the RIB boat, and on a safari, you can immerse yourself in the nature and stories of the archipelago. These trips lead you to interesting sites that are hard to reach otherwise. Choose one of the ready-made thematic trips or have one tailored just for your group.
Trips
- Espoo archipelago sightseeing
- Archipelago tour and visit at Pentala island
- Boat trip and campfire coffee break in the archipelago
- Sea Adventure in the Porkkala area
- Smugglers' archipelago
5. Royal Line archipelago cruises
Royal Line's m/s Royal Cat takes you from the Nokkala harbour in Matinkylä to the archipelago of Suvisaaristo, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery, exciting islander stories, good company and local delicacies served in the ship's kitchen. The cruise has room for up to 100 guests.
Lunch, dinner and sightseeing cruises in Suvisaaristo
- The exciting Smuggler's thematic dinner cruise includes a 3-course menu. Duration: 2,5-hour. Price: 52 €/pers.
- The lunch cruise includes a three-course lunch menu. Duration: 1 h 45 min.
- Day and evening cruises offer a leisurely way to hear Finland's history while admiring the archipelago's stunning scenery on a beautiful summer day with beverages from the ship's bar/cafe. Duration: 1 h 45 min. Price: 15€/pers.
In addition to guided lunch and dinner cruises, Royal Line offers private cruises for companies and other groups.
Visit royalline.fi for more info and bookings
6. Enjoy art, design, and gastronomy with a sea view at Hanaholmen
Hotel Hanaholmen offers top modern hotel rooms and conference facilities for very demanding tastes. Located a stone's throw away from Helsinki with the beautiful Finnish archipelago just outside the window, Hanaholmen is genuinely full of the maritime atmosphere.
Directly from the hotel's pier, you can depart for a cruise around the archipelago or hop on a RIB boat and splash away. You can also make the trip to Hanasaari an experience and arrive with the group by sailboat, for example, from the Helsinki Market Square.
What to expect in Hanaholmen?
- There are 11 meeting rooms for a total of 500 people, and the biggest space is the 230-seat auditorium. The majority of meeting rooms have a beautiful seaside view.
- Restaurant Plats serves Nordic flavours to up to 240 people. The restaurant has a private 30-person cabinet, and in summer, guests are welcome to enjoy the restaurant's sunny terrace.
- Nordic art and experiences: Enjoy art in the Gallery and art hallway Korridoren or outdoors in the Art Park. Hanasaari organises guided art tours for groups.
- The surrounding sea makes engaging in many marine activities possible. For example, you can try kayaking or Eventure's Rescue Rafts activities. Fun activities are also organised for those who would rather stay dry. Guests can participate in games, such as escape room games, indoors.
- 66 spacious hotel rooms with a stunning seaside view
Take a Virtual tour of meeting rooms, hotel and restaurant.
7. Radisson Blu Hotel Espoo by Espoo's Waterfront Walkway
Radisson BLU Espoo is located by the sea in Otaniemi, near excellent recreational facilities and traffic connections. The hotel is popular among business travellers as it is within walking distance of the Keilaniemi business area and Otaniemi, the Aalto University campus.
Seashore is just 100 meters away, and the 40-kilometre-long recreational walkway Rantaraitti promenade also runs right in front of the hotel. Why not hold part of your meeting outdoors while taking a stroll along with the Rantaraitti? The hotel also offers guided activities. For example, sauna yoga is a relaxing way to start or end the day!
Radisson's facilities
- Meeting rooms Aalto and Laine for meetings, group exercises and dinners; capacity of 30 people
- Rantasauna cabinet for casual 12-person events
- Bistro Ranta for 150-person get-togethers and dinners
- 209 hotel rooms; most of the rooms have a seaside view
Visit the hotel's website for more info and bookings
8. Rooftop restaurant Lucy in the Sky
Lucy in the Sky is a rooftop restaurant and bar located in the Keilaniemi business area, just 15 minutes from Helsinki city centre and one metro stop from Aalto University Otaniemi campus. Lucy serves contemporary bistro food and a unique view on top of Accountor Tower. The glass walls provide views in all directions showcasing the best of the Helsinki capital region, from diverse urban landscapes to the archipelago and Nuuksio National Park.
The restaurant can be rented out for private functions, such as conference dinners and get together. Lucy in the Sky is perfect for 100 people for a sit-down dinner and up to 150 persons for cocktail events.
9. Villa Kotkankallio
Villa Kotkankallio is a 600m2 stone/timbered villa located in the marine environment in Porkkalanniemi. The villa offers functional and practical facilities for off-site conferences for several days.
The facilities are on three and a half floors:
- On the entrance floor, there is a 35-person main hall and a 30-person meeting room connected to a small cosy lounge with a fireplace.
- The building has spacious living quarters upstairs that double as group exercise rooms.
- On the top floor, there is a small turret room.
- The building has comfortable sauna facilities with two steam rooms and changing rooms, a pool, jacuzzis and a fireplace room with access to the outdoor terrace.
Activities in Kotkankallio
- "Old fisherman's treasure" team activity
- Cycle ride to the birdwatching tower
- Fishing safari
- Kayaking tour around the island
- Arrival on a RIB boat or sailing boat
Villa Kotkankallio is one of the three Villas that SMA Groups operates in the Helsinki Region.
Read more about the facilities and amenities on sma.fi
10. Dipoli – Event and conference facilities
Legendary Dipoli, located in the heart of the Aalto University campus in Otaniemi, has six event and conference facilities of different sizes and serves all kinds of customers, from small groups to 1,000-person seminars and international conferences. Combined with the building's elegant lobby, the larger rooms are also suitable for cocktail events of more than 1,000 guests.
The multi-purpose building's à la carte restaurant Metso serves dishes prepared from the best local ingredients, lunch menus and special group menus.
Including seaside activities in your meeting or seminar day is easy – the Baltic Sea is only 200 metres away! Espoo's archipelago boat's stop and Radisson Blu Espoo are located right behind the corner. To end your meeting, you can organise a light-hearted contest on the Otaniemi sports field and enjoy the seaside view.
Facilities in a nutshell
- Seminar rooms Kaleva and Sief are suitable for seminars, congresses, evening parties and exhibitions. Combined, they have a capacity of 1,000 people.
- Auditorium Lumituuli for 250 people
- Palaver, Takka and Poli for smaller meetings or group exercises
- Catering by Fazer
- Radisson Blu Hotel Espoo (point 7) and the Aalto University metro station are within walking distance
360° space tour
Explore Dipoli and 360° space tour at aalto.fi
Exploit Visit Espoo's Congress Services
- We give you free tips and ideas about organising your congress, meeting or event in Espoo.
- We help you find the most suitable event venues, hotels and the most exciting adventures in the city.
- We organise free site inspection visits to Espoo's congress and event venues.