Waves are splashing and the wind dances slowly in the reeds. A tern is circling above the water, looking for a snack for its chicks.

Right now, the sun is hidden behind a cloud, not glimmering on the waves, but otherwise the Majakkaranta scenery is pretty perfect today, according to Sari Paananen.

“I love the sea. It has such a calming effect. I spent most of my childhood summers in the archipelago. Here at Majakkaranta, I always feel like I’m at the summer cottage by the sea.”

Sari’s favourite spots in Majakkaranta include a small cape where she likes to walk and sit. A pair of swans with their cygnets has a nest nearby.

We thought that maybe the couple could be named John and Catherine – after John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagiellon, old residents of Turku Castle.

Paananen and her son Joona moved from Vantaa to Majakkaranta in Turku approximately four years ago. She had been looking at Majakkaranta online with great interest for at least a year and fell in love with the marine feeling of the area.

“We moved here directly after Joona’s final exams in upper secondary school. Joona wanted to go to the University of Turku and study physics and astronomy, and he got in that year.”

Even though Majakkaranta is by the sea, it’s also very close to the city centre.

“The bus ride to the Turku Market Square takes ten minutes. It’s also nice to cycle to the city.”

The tern sets off towards Hirvensalo, on the other side of Pitkäsalmi. If you have legs instead of wings, you can head over the straits using a bridge.

“Hirvensalo has great jogging paths and a skiing slope, for instance.”

Lumo has a wide selection of rental apartments in Turku. See other available rental apartments in Majakkaranta as well as nearby rental apartments in Turku's Martti.