The South by Cycle Bikepacking Trail is a 1000 kilometer long bikepacking route - collection of beautiful nature, cultural history and romantic countryside connected by some of the best gravel roads and gravel-bike-friendly single tracks for cyclists with adventure spirit.
Route travels from Uusimaa to Kymenlaakso through 13 municipalities and cities rolling to fairytale-like forests, by many magical lakes and waterfronts, through village to village - connecting hotels, restaurants and sights as well as many wilderness shelters for wild campers.
Espoo is one of the Southern gems along the 5 routes you will find from:
Route attracts all kinds of cyclists from sporty families and faster gravel cyclists to international bikepacking adventurers - you can choose your own adventure by distance and cycling speed to suit your desire and time availability. Routes are connected with local transportation, so it is fast and easy to access routes.
South by Cycle has 5 routes which are two overnighters, a weekender, a 4-5-day 300km adventure and an epic 8-10-day explorer experience with 550km bikepacking trail.
Routes are not in use during snowtime because part of the route is used for skiing tracks where cycling is not allowed.
More Information about the South by Cycle
Email: info@southbycycle.fi (Marketing/ Kristiina Vaano)
Email: info@bikeland.fi (Company updates to routemap/ Taneli Roininen)
SOUTH BY CYCLE - ESPOO
In Espoo, South by Cycle covers the most epic bikepacking and cycling adventures you can imagine.
If you choose South by Cycle’s WESTERN UUSIMAA LOOP, which is a 293 km long 3-4 day adventure.
YOU WILL CYCLE ALONG:
The famous Espoo’s waterfront walkway – over 40km of gravel roads by the waterfront with stunning views of the open sea & Espoo’s archipelago.
Can you imagine Espoo’s beautiful archipelago with 165 islands - have some extra time, because you might want to visit some of them. Read here more about Espoo's archipelago.
On Espoo Waterfront Walkway, you cycle through nature, by beautiful beaches, harbours, cafés and restaurants, and modern urban office buildings of famous Finnish companies such as Nokia, Kone, and Rovio to exclusive privately owned villas and historically magnificent mansions and castle-like houses - trust me,, there are several interesting places you want to stop.
Espoo Waterfront Walkway also offers a great variety of services, from restaurants, cafés, and hotels to activities and adventures.
Some of them:
HOTELS
- Hotel Matts
- Hotel Hanaholmen
- Unique luxury floating sleep at Villa Helmi
- Heymo 1 by Sokos Hotels
- Original Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden
- Hotel Radisson Blu Espoo
- Noli Otaniemi
CAFES & RESTAURANTS
- Nokkalan Majakka
- Cafe Zoceria Tarvaspää
- Café Otsolahti
- Cafe Merenneito
- Café Mellsten
- Strindberg Haukilahti
- Café Pentry
- Skiffer Haukilahti
INTERESTING ACTIVITIES RIGHT ALONG THE ESPOO WATERFRONT WALKWAY
- Water Sports Center Laguuni
- Gallen-Kallela Museum
- Nature House Villa Elfvik and Laajalahti Nature Reserve
Some amazing things to do in Espoo if you have time:
Archipelago boat route for cyclists (during summer months)
Espoo’s top 50 attractions (picked by Visit Espoo followers)
Four of the South by Cycle routes will lead you through the great Nuuksio National Park in Espoo. These South by Cycle routes are: Kouvola – Hanko, shorten Ring G route & Nuuksio Overnighter (www.southbycycle.fi).
Nuuksio highland is full of beautiful forest lakes from huge to tiny - lot of high rock formations and beautiful gravel roads. Park is covered by old spruce forests, those deepest green forests like in the fairytales.
Nuuksio’s gravel roads are a little more physically demanding, especially if you have a lot to carry - there are several southern hills, which are short and sweet. But don’t worry there is always a solution - carry less, eat at the restaurants and stay in the hotels. From Nuuksio you will find absolute some of the very unique services to add on for your cycling adventure.
Check out the services in Nuuksio National Park:
HALTIA, the Finnish Nature Centre - from this site you can find most of the services from the entire Nuuksio’s National Park.
ACCOMMODATION ALONG THE ROUTE:
Haltia Lake Lodge
Nuuksio Reindeer park where you sleep close to reindeer
Hotel Korpilampi is actually not in Nuuksio, but on eastern side of Nuuksio towards Vantaa, along Kouvola - Hanko route.
RESTAURANTS:
Restaurant Haltia
Haltia Lake Lodge’s Forest Lounge & Bar
Cafe Uken Pirttimäki
Luukki Manor
Café Silva in the summertime at Haukkalampi, Nuuksio
INTERESTING ACTIVITIES
Bike Rental Finland
Natura viva - Nuuksio (equipment rental and guided nature tours)
EASY BOOKING:
Book your services along your cycling adventures in advance through BookingPoint.
Article is written by Kristiina Vaano, who was the project manager and designer of the route. This epic Finland's first bikepacking trail was created during one year 2021 - and she has cycled it all and much more to find you all these treasures from Southern Finland. Her passion is strongly in all outdoor adventures www.outforadventures.com and tourism.
Hero Image: Poppis Suomela