Wake up to sea views from your bed. Walk to your wood-fired beach sauna. Swim from your own pier – in winter too, thanks to an ice-hole pump. Villa Sten is a new villa on the shore of the Porvoo archipelago, with its own sandy beach, three bedrooms for six guests and floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sea. Helsinki and Helsinki Airport are just over an hour away by car; Old Porvoo is 29 km.
THE SAUNA AND THE SEA
A path leads from the terrace down to the beach, about 50 metres. The wood-fired beach sauna sits there, on the sand, with an unobstructed view of the sea from the benches inside. You heat it yourself – firewood is included and simple instructions are in the villa. When it's ready, the water is fifteen metres away: from the sandy beach or from your pier, which has a railing along the gangway.
The beach is sandy, and the bottom is sandy close to the shore. Further out it gradually changes to natural clay, which is typical for sheltered archipelago bays. The water deepens fairly quickly, making the pier well suited for swimming. Small children need supervision at the shore. There is also a fire pit on the beach – cook over an open fire when no forest-fire warning is in force – plus Mölkky and beach toys for the children.
In summer, long evenings are easy to spend between the sauna, the beach and the sea, with Nordic light still in the sky at ten o'clock. In autumn the forest changes colour and cooler evenings make the beach sauna especially inviting. In winter, an ice-hole pump keeps an opening in the ice by the pier through the season – only in rare spells of extreme cold can it freeze over for a while. Step from the hot sauna into the cold air, walk down to the beach, and lower yourself into the sea. Winter swimming – avantouinti – is a Finnish tradition, and here it is part of everyday life at the villa. For a winter day out, a hydrocopter tour over the frozen archipelago can start right from the beach (see THINGS TO DO NEARBY).
Villa Sten has two saunas: the wood-fired beach sauna for a traditional Finnish sauna experience, and an indoor electric sauna that heats up at the touch of a button – for mornings, late arrivals, or whenever you want warmth without lighting a fire.
ON THE WATER AND IN THE FOREST
Two stand-up paddleboards and a rowing boat can be rented for your stay in the summer season; life jackets are available in limited numbers. Fishing from the pier is possible year-round with your own gear. Blueberries grow beside the terrace in late July and August. Finland's Everyman's Rights allow you to explore many of the surrounding forests and pick berries and mushrooms, while respecting private yards and homes.
THE SPACE
Floor-to-ceiling windows – 2.8 metres of glass – face the sea from the living room and two of the three bedrooms. The living room has a three-seat sofa, two comfortable armchairs and a dining table for six, with the sea always in view. There is a smart TV where you can log in with your own streaming accounts.
Three bedrooms, sleeping up to 6. Two bedrooms each have a 160 cm double bed and floor-to-ceiling sea-facing windows – you can watch the water from bed. The third bedroom has two 80 cm single beds. Fast Wi-Fi throughout.
The kitchen is fully equipped with an induction hob, oven, microwave, dishwasher, fridge-freezer, Moccamaster filter coffee maker, kettle, toaster, blender, sandwich grill, hand mixer and everything needed to prepare meals for six – pots, pans, knives and baking dishes. Coffee, coffee filters, tea, sugar, cooking oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a few spices are provided, as are dishwasher tablets, washing-up liquid and bin bags. A combined washer-dryer makes longer stays easy.
Underfloor heating keeps the villa warm year-round, a wood-burning fireplace adds evening warmth, and an air-source heat pump cools the rooms on hot summer days. The concrete floor is in a calm grey tone. The bathroom has micro-cement surfaces, a rain shower and the toilet.
OUTSIDE
The terrace has a Weber gas grill, a dining table for six and sun chairs – the whole group can eat and sit outside. A path from the terrace leads down to the beach and the sauna. The property sits within natural forest with blueberry bushes around the villa. Parking for 3–4 cars by the villa, with more space on the property if needed, and free EV charging (Type 2 with a fixed cable – no need to bring your own).
GOOD TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BOOK
Villa Sten is one of two sister villas on the same shoreline plot. The other, Villa Sund, is about 30 metres away – each has its own beach, sauna and pier, with a tall privacy screen between the two beach areas and screens on the terraces. You can see the neighbouring villa from parts of the plot and the beach, and there are other cottages in the area. This is a quiet seaside setting, not a wilderness cabin. Both villas can be rented together for larger groups of up to twelve.
A car is required – no public transport reaches the property. Rental cars are available at Helsinki Airport. Roads are ploughed in winter all the way to the villa. Nearest shop: 3 km in summer, 8 km the rest of the year. Check-in from 16:00, checkout by 11:00, self check-in.
Included: bed linen, towels, firewood for the beach sauna and fireplace, EV charging, toilet paper and kitchen paper. Final cleaning is a mandatory fee shown at booking. A rowing boat, two paddleboards and a travel cot with bedding are available to rent. A high chair is available on request, free of charge. Fully house-trained dogs are welcome (maximum two, fee per dog); no other pets, please. Dogs are not allowed on the beds, and if your dog uses the sofa or armchairs, please bring your own cover for them. Maximum six guests.
Villa Sten is a place for a calm stay by the sea. Parties and events are not allowed, and we ask guests to keep evenings quiet out of consideration for the neighbouring villa.
THINGS TO DO NEARBY
By boat from your own beach: SeaSport offers private boat tours during the open-water season and can pick you up directly from Villa Sten's shore, for example for a day trip by boat to Old Porvoo. In winter, the same company offers hydrocopter tours over the frozen archipelago, also with pick-up from the villa's beach. Gliding across the ice and between the islands by hydrocopter is a truly unique way to experience the Finnish archipelago in winter.
Pellinge islands – the free ferry leaves from Tirmo, a few minutes' drive away, typically every 15 minutes, year-round. In summer, Pellinge Marina restaurant and a Saturday market with local fish and baked goods; Tirmo's own village restaurant is also open in summer. Walking and cycling routes on the islands all year.
Virvik nature trail (19 km) – a 2.5 km marked trail through forest, rock and bog, past a nine-metre boulder. Boardwalks over the wet sections; sturdy shoes needed. Not maintained in winter.
Old Porvoo (29 km) – wooden houses, riverside warehouses, cafés, a medieval cathedral and a summer Saturday market. Restaurants include VÅR, which received Porvoo's first Michelin star in 2025. Just outside the town is the Sikosaari nature trail – a 1.5 km loop with a bird tower.
Bosgård organic farm (23 km) – a working farm with 5 km of free nature trails (not maintained in winter), where you can walk among the fields and see the cattle; farm shop and deli restaurant.
Sipoonkorpi National Park – about 50 minutes by car, over 26 km of marked trails.
Porvoo Ski – approx. 35 minutes by car, downhill and cross-country, open in winter.
Whether you visit in the endless light of summer, the colours of autumn or the stillness of winter, Villa Sten is a place to slow down and experience the Finnish archipelago at your own pace.
