Boat Trip on Keitele Part 2

Our July boat trip on Lake Keitele continued from Petäjäsaari via Matilanvirta to the captivating Viukarinsaari. The enchantingly beautiful lake scenery charmed us, and we enjoyed the Finnish summer in complete peace. 

Stop at Matilanvirta

We left Petäjäsaari behind and continued to Matilanvirta in calm weather. At the fueling point, we gave the boat a quick top-up and made a brief visit to the restaurant as well.

At Matilan Ankkuri you can get all kinds of food and drinks, and the beautifully located restaurant has become a perennial summer favorite for many. You can also easily get there by car—the address is Matilanvirrantie 1356.

Finally towards Viukarinsaari

The group settled back into the boat and pointed the bow toward Viukari; we had already decided that on the return trip we’d stop at Matila for pizza. According to what we’ve heard, Viukarinsaari is one of the best-known and most popular excursion harbors on southern Keitele.

We had heard a lot about the island, our expectations were high, and the mood was excited in a good way. The island is maintained by the City of Äänekoski and lies at the southern end of Keitele’s large open waters, at the crossroads of boating routes, which is why it’s popular with cruising boaters.

The island has two piers, a campfire site, a large lean-to, a small lean-to, an outhouse, a kota (hut), and a sauna.

By the sauna there’s a small cove and a good sandy beach. There’s also a pier by the sauna, but it’s in such poor condition that it needs repairs. With one accord we fired up the sauna and set off to explore the island.

The large lean-to is, as the name suggests, large—there’s room for several boating parties to spend the night if needed. A special feature is the fire pit located in the middle inside the shelter. If my boat fever gets any worse, I guarantee we’ll return to spend the night here with our own boat.

The kota is located near the sauna and woodshed and is certainly a great option in rainy or slightly cooler weather. 

The smaller lean-to also has a fire pit; there were already people there, so we didn’t disturb them further and instead headed to the shoreline fire pit. From the campfire spot there’s a view over the large open water, and the sunset seen from here is surely a perfect ten.

More boaters kept arriving on the island, and tents were being set up at a steady pace—the place has grown in popularity year by year.

We returned to the sauna, and a second island sauna session on the same day is not a bad way to spend a summer day at all. 

People have written online about the excellent steam in Viukari’s sauna, and the praise is well deserved. After the steam we dipped into the cove for a swim, and I have to say we’ve been given incredibly beautiful facilities for everyone to enjoy, free to use.

With a touch of wistfulness we left Viukari behind, and hopefully we’ll get to visit again. Our boat now heads back toward the delicious offerings of Matilan Ankkuri. After the meal, it’s time for the journey home back to the Mustanniemi harbor. Thanks to our skipper Vesku—let’s do this again sometime.

Contact information

Phone: 045 668 3933 Matilan Ankkuri 050 553 3255

Coordinates: 62°45,6', 25°56,6'

Nautical chart series: J-K

Nautical chart: 333

Harbor number: 3673

S&P