Bike the Espoo Waterfront Walkway with Children

Bike the Espoo Waterfront Walkway with children and fall in love with both land and sea

Take the archipelago boat route meant for cyclists.

• When you take this trip with children, make sure to arrive at the harbour on time so that all of your family fits on board. Tickets cannot be reserved in advance. There are 20 places on board.
• The shortest and child-friendliest option is to hop on board at Otaniemi harbour: Otaniemi–Nokkala, which makes the length of the bike route approximately 13.5 km. This includes the Otsonlahti loop of 2.6 km. If you leave it out, the route is just over 10 km long. Most age groups can complete this distance as long as your pace is moderate.
• With children, it is good to make several stops along the way.

Study the route at KOMOOT

WAYPOINTS AND THINGS TO DO ALONG THE ROUTE

Fun places to stop at along the route from Nokkala to Otaniemi include:

NOKKALA – MATINLAHti beach:

• Restaurant/café Nokkalan Majakka is located at Nokkala boat harbour. In the summer, there is also an ice cream stand.
• Matinlahti has a sheltered beach with a sauna open for reservations: loylykontti.fi (with public and private slots).
• The Matinlahti beach has a lovely café, Café Merenneito, as well as an ice cream stand right by the beach.

HAUKILAHti harbour:

• A gorgeous harbour area with white sailboats and colourful pennants is a stop worth making. If you are biking with children, think about which sailboat you would like to sail on or which one would you like to buy, if it were possible? Which boat has the funniest name?
• The harbour has two cafés: Both Café Gäddviken right by the harbour as well as Café Mellsten by the beach offer lunch and small snacks. Of course, there is also an ice cream stand. This one even sells ice cream for dogs!
• Restaurant Haukilahden Helmi is a high-quality restaurant right in the middle of the harbour.
• Haukilahti’s long beach is perfect for playing with sand toys. Nature offers its own building blocks: can you make a cone cow or build a sandcastle by the waves?  

TOPPELUND & WESTEND beach:

• A gorgeous harbour area with white sailboats and colourful pennants is a stop worth making. If you are biking with children, think about which sailboat you would like to sail on or which one would you like to buy, if it were possible? Which boat has the funniest name?
• The harbour has two cafés: Both Café Gäddviken right by the harbour as well as Café Mellsten by the beach offer lunch and small snacks. Of course, there is also an ice cream stand. This one even sells ice cream for dogs!
• Restaurant Haukilahden Helmi is a high-quality restaurant right in the middle of the harbour.
• Haukilahti’s long beach is perfect for playing with sand toys. Nature offers its own building blocks: can you make a cone cow or build a sandcastle by the waves?  

WESTED beach:

• The beach is quite narrow but has gorgeous archipelago views towards the sea. Sit on a stone and admire the view: How many islands can you see in the horizon? How many boats can you spot sailing?
• After the foreshore, you will move to a paved walkway before you arrive at Bredviken bay on Westend beach. Here, you will find another ice cream stand: Minetti Jäätelö. The beach has public bathrooms, changing rooms and showers.
• The Westend beach is quite shallow and deepens slowly. You can often find groups of schoolchildren playing on the beach. Small children have their own safe, restricted swimming area marked with buoys.
• You can hear some, yet surprisingly little, traffic noise from Länsiväylä.

OTSONLAHti loop:

• The Otsonlahti loop is approximately 2.6 km long. To access the loop, take the tunnel going under Länsiväylä to head towards Tapiola. You can also skip the loop if you want to make your trip shorter.
• The Otsonlahti loop is a beautiful loop with park-like gravel walkways.
• Restaurant Otsolahti is an excellent stop if you want to enjoy some snacks on the terrace.
• If you still have some extra energy, Tapiola Minigolf is located right behind the restaurant. Check the opening hours before you go; it is usually open in the afternoons.
• Otsonlahti has plenty of birds. You are likely to see at least geese, swans and seagulls. How many birds can you spot as you pass Otsonlahti?

KARHUSAARI area:

• Karhusaari is a fun forest section along your route.
• You can also find the charming Karhusaari beach with park benches halfway across the island. What a lovely place for a picnic!
• The journey continues towards Sinebrychoff mansion on Karhusaari. First, you will see a large pine trunk, beautifully bent over the sea. Such a wonderful photo op!
• The small park by the gorgeous Sinebrychoff mansion offers a shaded place for a break and for admiring the old, fascinating villa.

From KEILANIEMi to OTANIEMi:

• As you arrive in Keilaniemi, you might not be able to pass Laguuni without making a pitstop. It is Finland’s largest water sports centre and floating restaurant. Make an appointment in advance on the Laguuniin.fi website.
• Biking along the Keilaniemi shoreline is an experience for both older and younger cyclists as you get to bike between gorgeous tall office buildings and the bay. Stop to wonder at the area’s amazing modern architecture.
• You will also pass the fun floating padel courts in Keilaniemi.
• Keilaniemi’s new metro station is a great possibility to incorporate public transport into your trip. Familiarise yourself with the other public transport junctions along the route in advance in case you need to head home earlier than planned.
• You will soon arrive at Otaniemi, which is where you started your trip in the beginning of the day.

Author Kristiina Vaano is an expert on cycling tourism and endurance sports. Planning outdoor routes and guided adventure sports are close to her heart. Krisse is responsible for the biking-related posts on our Instagram. Krisse has created the internationally acclaimed South by Cycle bikepacking route (www.southbycycle.fi), and you can find her on her website: www.trails.fi, www.outforadventures.com and www.laketolake.fi. IG: @krisse_vee. Krisse can also organise working capacity events that incorporate cycling.

Hero Image: Daniela Brezinova