Muonio kayaking routes now on the map

“Muonio is one of the best areas for canoeing in Finland,” says Mikael Heikkilä without a hint of false modesty.

“Here we have both longer and shorter wilderness rivers, various lakes and the Muonio river itself, a.k.a. the Channel,” he explains.

Now all these routes have been combined into one group. Well, two in fact. One is shown on Muonio’s new outdoor recreation map, and the other is ‘Discover Muonio’ on the Muonio council website. The canoeing routes are shown on the outdoor map, and the Top 10 routes on the website.

“We mapped well over twenty locations and routes in the Muonio area. From these, we then selected our Top 10 routes and began to market them.”

Managed by Muonio council and funded by Tunturi-Lapin Leader, Heikkilä was in charge of this project that was completed in December 2022. Its list of Top 10 routes include the Jerisjoki and Kangosjoki rivers, and several lakes such as Pallasjärvi, Jerisjärvi and Särkijärvi.

These routes are aimed at both beginners and amateurs, while not forgetting whitewater rafting enthusiasts.

“We have routes to suit all tastes, even the most demanding. For example, the Finnish freestyle team comes to train on the whitewater canoeing runs in Muonio and Enontekiö.”

Heikkilä recommends that beginners go with a guide on an organised trip.

“Canoeing is an adventure sport with inherent risks. Optimise your experience and learn the most from it on a guided trip.”

Check out the guide at discovermuonio.fi > See and experience > Activities > Canoeing. The map is on sale at local shops and the tourist info office in the centre of Muonio.