Photographic Review: Tentsile Camping Experience in Nuuksio, Finland
Photographic Review: Tentsile Camping Experience in Nuuksio, Finland
I recently had the opportunity to travel through southern Finland with my partner– and discover some of the sights, sounds and culture it has on offer. Among our adventures was a 2-day, 1-night Tentsile EcoCamp experience in the heart of one of Finland’s prized treasures: Nuuksio National Park.
Whilst our itinerary was quite busy as we journeyed between port-side Turku and the capital city of Helsinki, we wanted to take some time to uniquely explore some of the great outdoors Finland is renowned for.
Nuuksio National Park is one of Finland’s 40 national parks. Established in 1994, the park spreads over 50 square-kilometers of forests and lakes in Espoo, Kirkkonummi and Vihti.
Below is a photographic journey through our Tentsile Experience in Nuuksio.
The Nuuksio National Park is located in the southern part of Finland. An hour north-west from Helsinki, it is the second-closest national park to the capital behind the recently established Sipoonkorpi National Park.
Upon our arrival, we immediately noticed the Haltia Nature Center. The environmentally-friendly nature center is based on clever design, as well as modern and ecological solutions. In the spring of 2015, the Finnish Nature Center Haltia was awarded first prize in the world-renowned European Museum of the Year award for sustainable development. Source: http://www.haltia.com
We spent nearly 2 hours looking through the vast amount of interactive exhibits outlining life across Finland’s great outdoors. Some were more conceptual than others…
It was now time to begin out Tentsile journey. We were joined by another couple as we met Markku, the individual who runs the Honkalintu Tentsile Experience in Nuuksio. Markku started the Tentsile Eco Camp experience only a couple of years ago, but sees high potential in an increasing number of tourists wanting to experience life in the Finnish outdoors. Once Markku got us setup with the basics and outlined some key information about our stay, we were left to our own devices.
And there they were: The Tentsiles themselves. We had a choice across a small variety of tentsiles. Some were on higher ground, while others were close to the waterfront.
We chose a tentsile that was more secluded from the other tentsiles, offering us a bit of high ground and a clearer overhead.
Getting our gear setup required some amount of balance and flexibility. The tentsile structure itself is fastened tightly and secured, but you’re constantly left with the impression that everything could come apart at any given time.
The entire structure has two layers. The first layer consists of a mesh base that is fastened to surrounding trees. It is meant to be a safety net for the second layer in case it collapses, and is also an area where you freely lie about. It is also the point from which you enter into the second layer. The second layer is the sleeping area, and has a cover that can be taken off to reveal an upper mesh for nighttime stargazing. The cover is typically kept on when there is rain in the forecast- which was unfortunately the case during our stay.
After getting setup, exploring the local woods, and spending some time by the waterfront, we enjoyed some leisure time back on the tentsile.
After some brief R&R, we headed up to the main tent, where we could have dinner, make some tea/coffee and obtain other provisions.
We were also able to make a fire to keep us warm as the night drew closer, and as we retreated into the night…
Once morning came, we decided to get an early start by embarking on a 5km morning hike filled with peaceful tranquility and glorious views.
There was no shortage of beautiful shapes.
Unique Structures.
Rocky paths.
Colorful landscapes.
Little ecosystems.
Not to mention a unique display of mushrooms.
So…many…mushrooms…
Seriously.
Did I mention the mushrooms?
We celebrated our morning hike with an equally lovely breakfast at the Haltia Nature Center.
After breakfast, we spent a few moments enjoying the rest of our tentsile stay in Nuuksio, before continuing on our journey across southern Finland.
All in all, we really enjoyed our tentsile Eco Camping experience in Nuuksio, save for the rainy weather during our stay, and the fact that we couldn’t take the cover off the tentsile in the evening.
We wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy more hiking adventures and lakeside activities in the Finnish outdoors.
However, given the enjoyment of our adventures in Nuuksio, suffice it to say that we anticipate a return back to this unforgettable land one day soon. And perhaps, the next time, some quality time will be spent in the iconic, magical Lapland.
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