Logistics · Country Guide
Baltic shipwreck time capsules between the Swedish and Finnish coasts
Use this travel brief to set arrival flow, local transit, and gear movement before you lock your itinerary.
Ferries and regional flights connect Aland with Sweden and mainland Finland. Marine arrivals may use Mariehamn, Eckero or Langnas; check the exact port before reserving an onward transfer. Grisslehamn to Eckero is a particularly short crossing, while routes from Stockholm, Turku, Naantali and Helsinki have different durations and schedules. Mariehamn Airport (MHQ) receives regional service from Helsinki, Stockholm and Turku according to Finavia's 2026-27 route list. For wreck diving, first arrange a permitted Mariehamn boat departure and appropriate post-dive flight interval.
Mariehamn Airport
MHQ • EFMA
City-edge airport near Mariehamn • Short local road transfer; confirm pickup time
Aland's realistic air gateway, serving the main island and Mariehamn wreck-diving base; onward travel to outer islands requires land and ferry legs. Finavia's winter 2026-27 list includes regional flights from Helsinki, Stockholm and Turku.
Transport: Taxi, Prearranged hotel pickup, Rental car when available
Mariehamn is walkable and has town buses. Regional buses reach main-island communities, but schedules can be thin. The ferry arrival at Eckero usually connects with a bus to Mariehamn; Langnas and outlying cottage addresses may need a taxi or arranged pickup. A car or bicycle helps with Kastelholm, Bomarsund, Degersand and rural shore access. Alandstrafiken links Foglo, Kumlinge, Brando, Kokar and other archipelago stops, with schedules and bicycle or vehicle fares to check in advance. Never assume a public ferry delivers divers to a permitted wreck site.
Aland is an autonomous region of Finland and uses Finland's Schengen immigration framework. Nordic and qualifying EU/Schengen travelers normally need valid identification, while other nationalities must check Finland's passport, visa, permitted-stay and any applicable pretravel authorization rules. Carry documents even when internal border checks are absent. Aland has a special EU VAT and excise treatment that may affect goods moved across its tax border, but this does not replace immigration rules or its separate diving permit system. Verify conditions for the passport used and every transit country just before departure.
Divealand advertises a Mariehamn center near Korrvik fishing port with suit drying, gear service and air, EAN32, oxygen, helium and argon fills. This establishes a specialist supplier, not confirmed real-time inventory, rental sizing or prices. Ask your chosen operator whether tanks, weights, drysuits, technical gases, boat capacity and surface oxygen are included. Bring proof of appropriate qualifications and recent cold-water experience. Airlines and ferries enforce their own rules for cylinders, batteries and other equipment. Pack clothing for sea spray and transport delays; allow post-dive travel time.
Euro (EUR)
Euro is the official currency. Cards are common in Mariehamn and larger businesses, but ask small seasonal services and dive operators about payment methods, deposits and cancellations. Compare the charter, transport, gases and gear separately.
Tourism guidance identifies internationally compatible cashpoints in Mariehamn, Jomala and Godby; there are no cashpoints in the outer archipelago municipalities. Obtain a little cash before ferry-based island-hopping.
230V • 50Hz • C, F
Finland-standard European outlets. Bring the appropriate adapter and verify high-draw battery chargers and liveaboard or charter-boat power arrangements directly.
Communications
Aland uses Finland's +358 telephone country code and 18 as its local fixed-line area code. Wi-Fi is widely available in Mariehamn hotels and public places, but outer-island and offshore cellular service is not guaranteed. Confirm roaming terms for the SIM used, download offline maps and keep a separate surface communications plan when boating.
Language
Swedish is Aland's sole official language; English is widely understood in the tourism sector. Do not assume Finnish is the default language of permits or local records. Swedish place names may appear with diacritics on road signs and ferries; the guide uses simple ASCII spellings for compatibility.
Insurance
Buy medical and travel cover explicitly addressing intended scuba depth, cold-water diving, specialist gases or decompression if relevant, helicopter or boat evacuation and recompression treatment. Routine travel insurance may exclude technical diving. EU-insured visitors should bring an EHIC for eligible public care, but that does not replace comprehensive dive rescue coverage.
Packing list
For wreck scuba, bring certification and logs, a proven drysuit and insulation system, hood, gloves, cold-water regulators, lights, computer and signaling gear. For general travel, pack a rainproof shell, warm layers, suitable shoes, sun protection, charger adapter, identification and offline maps. For swimming, bring a suitable wetsuit and your own snorkeling equipment; check water quality rather than relying only on season.