Our story

Greetings from Örö Fortress Island!

We're a couple originally from Helsinki, long-time fans of the archipelago. First we spent our holidays here – and now we live and work on the island full-time as tourism entrepreneurs. We've been running tourism services on Örö since 2020 and it's been our home ever since.

Together we have four grown-up children, all living their own lives these days. Over the years, each of them has worked with us on the islands in different roles – and they still occasionally help out alongside their main jobs.

Our island entrepreneur journey began back in 2013 on the island of Nötö in the Turku Archipelago, where we ran a small store and fuel station. A few years later we expanded to nearby Bodö, where we opened a guest marina, restaurant and accommodation services in 2016.

Bodö is a former coast guard station built in 1967 – a place that had actually been marked for demolition. But we were lucky to get the chance to give it a new life. After years of hard work restoring and developing the area, Bodö was voted Guest Marina of the Year twice in a row by boaters!

We ran both Örö and Bodö until 2021, after which we decided to focus fully on Örö. We handed over Bodö's operations to Laura and Matt, a wonderful couple who fell in love with the island while working with us. They've done an amazing job continuing the story – as proven by growing visitor numbers and multiple marina awards, including the 2025 Guest Marina of the Year!

Örö is a truly unique destination. The island is home to rare plants, butterflies, birdlife and a rich fortress history that you can see and feel all around.

We offer year-round services for visitors: accommodation and restaurant options are available every month of the year, and our guest marina is open during the boating season. In summer, we also open a cosy café in the southern part of the island and a summer restaurant by the marina. Around 27,000 people visit Örö every year.

The beautiful nature, rich history, important tourism work and Örö's special location make this job varied, sometimes challenging – but always meaningful.

We'd love to welcome you to the Archipelago Sea – come and enjoy it with us!

Warm regards,
Nina & Janne