Sea & Mountain Adventures celebrates its 30-year journey in 2024. The company's somewhat unique name stems from its founder Paul Almén's passion for climbing and sailing. Already in the 1980's and early 1990's, groups were taken on climbing trips abroad, and sailing trips were organized on the schooner Aleksandra in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, and finally in the Finnish archipelago and tha Baltic Sea.
In 1994, the mountains and seas were exchanged for the cliffs and lakes of Nuuksio, and the company Sea & Mountain Adventures Ltd was founded. In the same year, Nuuksio National Park was also established.
In the early days of our operations, there was no internet or mobile phones, so people were attracted to trips to Nuuksio through newspaper advertisements, among other methods. The Finnish Tourism Promotion Center mainly marketed only the capital city and Lapland in the 1990’s, so we had to pioneer the recognition of Nuuksio.
Initially, Karhunpesä log cottage in Nuuksio was used for our own leisure, but it quickly became a base for Nuuksio trips and a popular meeting villa. Karhunpesä is located on top of a cliff, offering stunning views of the national park, which is our neighboring border. The property also offers activities such as a high rope course, built long before the current adventure parks, and a 9-hole disc golf course. A large Kota (Lappish hut) was erected on a separate plot.
The trips were longer in the early days than they are now and included various activities such as hiking, cycling, canoeing, and for the adventurous, rock climbing and rappelling. Sometimes even overnight stays in tents in the wilderness. Food was cooked over open fires. People were thrilled to experience the diversity of nature and its many species. Our range of activities has always been muscle-powered, ecological, and environmentally friendly.
In 2000, we expanded to Safari House, just a stone's throw from Karhunpesä. Safari House serves as a meeting and recreational venue for larger groups. Initially, we also ran a café on weekends in the premises, offering lunch to hikers and skiers coming from the nearby Swing Hill slope. Swing Hill is one of Finland's oldest ski resorts.
For accommodation, we acquired 7 small camping cabins with bunk beds in the courtyard. Safari House also hosted midsummer celebrations, and for midsummer dances, we built a dance terrace. Innovation has always been one of our cornerstones, and we've had many crazy ideas along the way, some not so good, but InipiSPA - a Native American sweat lodge spa - is one of our best inventions.
On the shore of a forest pond located at Safari House, we erected a large Kota (Lappish hut). Inside is a wood-heated sauna for about 15 people, 3 hot tubs, and a bonfire in the middle of the hut creating atmosphere. In addition to sauna and bathing, there is also the opportunity to take a refreshing dip in the forest pond, even in winter. Over the years, hundreds of people have bathed in the hot tubs, from business leaders to politicians. Much to the chef's chagrin, guests often want to linger longer at the sauna; after all, dinner cannot wait.
Corporate groups have always been important to us, especially during Nokia's golden years when several technology companies were our regular customers. But over time, inquiries began to come in asking if we could offer something else as well beside Nuuksio.
In 2008, we expanded to Porkkala in Kirkkonummi, where we purchased our largest log villa, Villa Kotkankallio (Villa Eaglerock). Villa Kotkankallio, a magnificent 3,5-story log villa with a swimming pool, has been a popular retreat for management teams from the beginning. Kotkankallio provides a peaceful setting for meetings and relaxation, with food and beverage service. We organize activity programs amidst Porkkala's beautiful maritime scenery.
In 2013, Reindeer in Nuuksio? We decided to bring a bit of northern magic to southern Finland and acquired reindeer for Nuuksio. The Karhunpesä property had a suitable, large area to be fenced in, with a Kota remaining inside. The reindeer herd adapted well to the South, and the oldest reindeer soon took control of the herd. The reindeer herd has its own hierarchy, and each has its own different personalities, and they are very dear to us. After acclimatization, we opened the reindeer park to the public, and it has been immensely popular. It has been a joy to meet smiling and happy visitors from all over the world. The reindeer is a magical animal for many, one they want to see at least once in their lifetime. In the reindeer park, there is a world map where visitors can add a pin for their own country. There were so many pins on the map that we had to buy a new one.
Weddings have been celebrated in the reindeer park's White Reindeer Teepee as well as successful work projects. The area has been developed to meet the wishes of tourists, and the latest innovation in the reindeer park is an amethyst mine shed, where visitors can dig their own lucky stone, a domestic raw amethyst.
The Finnish Nature Centre Haltia opened its doors in May 2013, leading to a further increase in visitor numbers in Nuuksio.
Our long-standing work in tourism has been awarded the Good Travel Seal certificate and the Sustainable Travel Finland mark as evidence of valuable and long-term work towards sustainable tourism.
30th anniversary year. Our work in the field of tourism continues, and our passion is still to provide our customers with memorable experiences in the stunning nature of Finland, based on the principles of sustainable nature tourism.
"The journey is never just about the destination, but also the adventure getting there!
Our logos along the way:
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