Winter in Jurmo – magic in every step

January 2024 has been unusually cold in Finland. The temperature has been lower than -20 degrees for weeks and snowstorms have made people’s lives difficult. 

Despite the cold winter I headed to there at the end of January to check winter in Jurmo.

My friend Rita works there in Jurmo Inn, and I was on my way to see her, and of course the winter in Jurmo.

The ferry to Jurmo leaves from Pärnäinen, Nauvo. The ferry trip takes about 3 hours, and it navigates through fantastic sceneries.

The weather was brilliant! After snowstorms and midwinter darkness, the sun was shining and everything was blue! Just the ice rattling against the ferry reminded me that it was winter. Check my reel from the ferry trip through ice on Instagram.

Pictures: At the ferry port in Pärnäinen, the passengers walk in from the back, and they can leave their bags on the shelves on the car deck. Inside the cabin, there are seatings for passengers, and on the lowest deck, there’s a café and toilets. I enjoyed the sun on the deck.

I stayed in Jurmo Inn, naturally, which is one of the two accommodation alternatives in Jurmo (the third one is camping). Rita was meeting me at the port, and I got a lift in a four-wheeler. That I call a good service!

Normally the hosts always take the guests’ bags to the accommodation, so they don’t have to carry them, just walk. I got a little extra service, and it was fun! You can see my four-wheeler ride on Instagram.

Full Moon Made The Night Bright

I got to sleep in the tower room of Jurmo Inn. The room has a view of the ridge, which is only some 30 meters from the building. There is a little terrace on top of the steps outside the room. That’s where I noticed a lovely and bright full moon!

I couldn’t just go to bed, could I? So, I walked to the ridge and admired the moon and its wonderful light. I walked to the monk rings, and I didn’t need a torch. What a night!

Pictures from my walk, the frost was glittering like diamonds and moonlight made it light.

In the morning I woke up to an orange horizon. Seems like this island was giving me so much during this weekend! It was still an hour before sunrise, so I had plenty of time to walk around and admire the colours.

The moon was also still up, reflecting beautifully in the frozen sea. This is one positive thing about winter, the sunrise is so late that there are better possibilities to see it! (I hardly ever see it in the summer! I sleep at four am!)

I can’t explain how amazing it was, so here are some pictures. It is a morning walk I will remember for a long time!

Trip To The Eastern Tip

After breakfast, I headed with Rita toward the eastern tip of Jurmo. The weather was lovely, the sun was shining, and it made the frost glitter like thousands of diamonds.

There’s a path leading to the eastern side of Jurmo, leading you next to the monk rings. The stone rings are from the Middle Ages, but nobody knows, why they are there or what they have been. Probably they have been some hut foundations, but for whom?

Normally it is hard to walk on the stones in Jurmo. I noticed it was a lot easier now when the stones were frozen and attached. They didn’t move under your foot.

So, another reason to go there during the winter, it is easier to conquer the tips of the island.

Also, the western side of the island is a nature reserve for birds, and it is forbidden to go there between 1.4.-31.7. when they are nesting. In the winter you are allowed to go there.

I walked about 15 kilometers during the day, and I only went to the eastern tip. You can easily spend a couple of days just walking around different paths on the island, even though the island is so small.

On our hike we saw the sandy beach and went to the eastern tip of Jurmo.

Jurmo Inn Is Open Year Round

In addition to my stay I enjoyed a full board at Jurmo Inn. It is handy, then you don’t have to worry about bringing your own food, and you don’t have to spend time cooking it, you can just enjoy nature.

They serve delicious home-cooked meals. Even if you stay somewhere else, like if you are camping in the summer, you can still have meals at Jurmo Inn. Just book them in advance.

Jurmo in has two rooms they rent out for guests. I stayed in the tower room. This is a perfect place to stay when you are experiencing winter in Jurmo.

Jurmo Inn

The day was perfect. I had missed the peace of nature and the beauty of the archipelago, now I got loads of both. Sauna completed the Jurmo experience! After an active day, I slept like Rapunzel in my tower, which you can see in the pictures above.

It was cloudy the next morning, and it had snowed a bit, there was a thin layer of white on the paths. I only had time for breakfast before my ferry left back to Nauvo.

I had a perfect Jurmo getaway, and I already have plans to go there again in May. I’m looking forward to it! Thank you, Rita and Jurmo Inn! Winter in Jurmo is magical!