Tiny Atlas Quarterly at Project Ö

Tiny Atlas Quarterly here, sharing some impressions from a quiet summer stay in Finland’s Archipelago Sea, a network of thousands of forested islands floating in the Baltic between Helsinki and Stockholm. We stayed at Project Ö, one of a handful of private islands being thoughtfully restored by Finnish architect Aleksi Hautamäki.

Ö means "island" in Swedish (Sweden ruled the land of Finland for almost 700 years), and this region has always been shaped by the rhythm of the water—sometimes calm and glassy, and other times wild and whipping against the rocky shores of the archipelago. To reach Project Ö, you must first make a two-hour drive from Helsinki, and then a 20-minute boat ride from the nearest pier in Kasnäs.

Photo: Emily Nathan

As we pulled up to the island’s small dock, the first thing we noticed was the peaceful and solitary nature of the property. The island is thickly carpeted in pines, and the house stands proudly on a hill facing out towards the direction we arrived from. Though undeniably striking, it still feels at ease within the landscape, as if it was always meant to be part of the island’s wild, natural terrain.

When you’re the only people on an island, your days naturally revolve around the elements—and we quickly found ourselves doing just that. We kept warm by firing up the stove, huddled inside when the rain and wind swept across the water, and wandered back out when the sun decided to make a brief return. There’s nothing to do but let nature unfold around you.

Photo: Emily Nathan

The days fell into their own easy rhythm: slow mornings with coffee overlooking the sea, afternoons spent learning to smoke salmon the Finnish way, and hours that stretched endlessly. In summer, the sun never quite sets. The horizon stays soft and glowing well into the evening. We found ourselves slipping into late-night sauna sessions, alternating between the balmy wood-fired heat of the sauna and the crisp, chilly (yet refreshing) waters of the Baltic Sea, all dimly lit by the sun hovering just below the edge of the sky.

Photo: Emily Nathan

While most of our time on the island was spent in quiet solitude, we were lucky to have a few visitors one evening who brought along what quickly became our favorite meal in Finland. Chef Kristian Karnell of Nordic Hospitality arrived by boat and prepared a beautifully thought-out tasting menu, made almost entirely from local, seasonal ingredients, with the exception of the scallops, which were carefully collected off the coast of Norway.

We started with archipelago bread, still warm from the oven, paired with rich, cured butter. Tiny herring tartlets came next, crisp with salty fish, dill mayo, and warm brown butter folded inside. The scallops were almost too pretty to eat, topped with wild apple flowers and bright pea purée.

Photo: Emily Nathan

The main course was cold-smoked Arctic char, paired with tender summer potatoes from Lindrooth’s garden just across the water. Dessert was an interpretation of a typical Finnish candy from Chef Karnell’s childhood: rhubarb with white chocolate foam and spiced almond cake.

There’s a quiet simplicity to life on Ö, and that’s exactly what makes it special. The days slow down—reading, wandering, watching swans, stoking the fire, and listening to the wind through the trees naturally fill the time. The stillness encourages you simply to be, without distraction or hurry.