Bikepacking the Saimaa Archipelago Route – 3 days of island hopping, biking, beer and friends!

Join us on this three-day bikepacking trip where we ride along the coast of lake Saimaa, hopping between islands on bike ferry, cable ferries and even on a small motorboat. We camp in our tents, share beers and few laughs, and go seeing the local sights including World War II fortifications and an ancient rock painting, to name a few. We follow the relatively new Saimaa Archipelago Route, but make a little detour on Four Island Cycling Route as well, going by the towns of Taipalsaari, Ruokolahti, Imatra, Joutseno and Lappeenranta. Experience with us the best that South Karelia, Finland, has to offer for cyclists.

00:00 Taipalsaari – Sarviniemi – Bike ferry m/s Rasti – Kyläniemi – Huuhanranta
04:16 Camp setup and enjoying the evening at Saimaa Riviera
07:05 Huuhanranta – Utula – Syyspohja
10:18 Salpalinja (Salpa Line) bunker and fortifications
12:26 Syyspohja – Ruokolahti – Pizza!
13:23 Four Island Cycling Route begins
14:01 Kolmiköytinen rock painting
14:44 Rain, cable ferry, and extreme boat ride to Imatra
17:50 Imatrankoski rapid show (“koskinäytös”)
22:15 Riding to Kiukkaanlampi in search of a camp site
23:25 Stealth camping, beer, dinner, and gear talk
26:45 Misty morning the woods
28:22 Joutseno – Lappeenranta – Vety for lunch
30:08 Lappeenranta – Taipalsaari – Peltoi bird watching tower

Further information:

“Saimaa Archipelago Route takes you to the lake sceneries. Lake Saimaa and it´s waterways river Vuoksi and Saimaa Canal are the highlights, as well the Salpausselkä marginal formations.”
https://ekarjala-retkeily.fi/en/routes-and-destinations/destination/?id=28315365

“Four Island Cycling Route takes you to the beautiful sceneries of Suur-Saimaa’s water areas in Imatra and Ruokolahti. The route is a perfect choice for a one or two-day-long bicycle trip.”
https://ekarjala-retkeily.fi/en/routes-and-destinations/destination/?id=28193454

“The Lake Saimaa region in Finland calls to be explored, with its beautiful sprawling forests and waterscape. In Europe’s largest lake district, there’s charming shoreline and stunning scenery in every direction, and what better way to see the shores of Lake Saimaa than cycling.”

Finland Travel – Cycling on the shores of Lake Saimaa | Visit Saimaa

Information about the bike ferries (apparently only in Finnish, sorry!)
https://saimaacycling.fi/pyoralautat/

#saimaansaaristoreitti #saimaaarchipelagoroute #bikepacking

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Disclosures
At the time of this video, I was an ambassador and testing gear for the following companies:
5.11 Tactical Finland https://511tactical.fi/
Keli Clothing https://keliclothing.fi/
I also had received coffee from Freedom Seekers Coffee Company https://www.freedomseekerscoffee.com/

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Taival Outdoors is a channel about the great outdoors, spending time in nature doing everything from day hikes and overnight adventures to bikepacking and multi-day wilderness backpacking. Trekking is close to my heart, but I’m not tied to any particular “genre” like ultralight or bushcraft – instead I do what I’ve found through my experience in the wild to work the best for me. I’m also making gear reviews and skill videos based on what I actually use and how I operate in nature. Thanks for watching!