Places to Visit in Kuhmo: A Summer Day at Roukonpuro Beach (Roukonpuron ranta)

August 27, 2026 - By pinoyupnorth

Growing up in the Philippines, beaches have always felt familiar to me.

Warm weather, sand beneath your feet, the sound of water, and spending a lazy afternoon by the shore are things many of us Filipinos grow up enjoying.

After living abroad for many years and eventually moving to Finland, those tropical beach days became something we naturally missed.

Of course, Finland’s beaches are very different from the beaches back home. Instead of tropical seas and warm ocean water, many of the beaches here are found beside peaceful freshwater lakes, surrounded by forests and Finnish nature.

But on a beautiful summer day, sitting on a sandy lakeshore can still bring back that familiar feeling.

And that is exactly what we experienced at Roukonpuro Beach, (Roukonpuron ranta, in Finnish) in Kuhmo.

It was a place recommended to me by one of my colleagues, who told me it was a nice beach where our family could spend some time together.

So naturally, we became curious.

And eventually, we went to see it for ourselves.

Discovering Roukonpuro Beach

Roukonpuro is a natural swimming beach west of Kuhmo.

According to Visit Kuhmo, it has hundreds of metres of sandy shoreline and is considered suitable for families with children. The beach is on Ontojärvi, and unlike some developed public beaches, Roukonpuro has no services or facilities, so visitors should bring whatever they need with them.

That simplicity is actually part of its charm.

There are no cafés, changing-room buildings, or busy tourist attractions.

Just the beach, the water, the surrounding nature, and whoever happens to be there enjoying the day.

For us, that was more than enough.

Our First Visit – August 2025

Our first visit to Roukonpuro Beach was in August 2025, toward the end of the Finnish summer.

It was one of those lovely days when the sun was shining and the temperature was pleasantly warm.

The air became a little cooler whenever the wind picked up, which is something we’ve learned to expect even during Finnish summer, but overall, it was a beautiful day to spend outdoors.

When we arrived, one of the first things that caught our attention was the sandy shoreline.

There was plenty of room to sit down, relax, and simply enjoy the view.

We brought some snacks with us, so we found a comfortable spot by the shore and had our little family snack time there.

Nothing fancy.

Just food from home, a beautiful view in front of us, and time together.

And sometimes, those simple afternoons turn out to be the ones we remember most.

Swimming in a Finnish Lake

Of course, since we had come to a beach during summer, we couldn’t resist going into the water.

The water actually felt surprisingly nice that day.

It wasn’t freezing cold, but it wasn’t particularly warm either. For us, it was just comfortable enough to enjoy swimming for a while.

And yes, coming from the Philippines, our definition of warm swimming water might be slightly different from that of Finns!

Still, we enjoyed it.

Other people also arrived to swim and spend time along the beach. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the peaceful summer weather in their own way.

There was something relaxing about seeing people simply swimming, sitting on the shore, and enjoying nature without needing much else.

Missing the Beaches Back Home

While sitting along the sandy shoreline, I couldn’t help thinking about the Philippines.

We definitely miss our beaches.

The warm seawater.

The tropical sunshine.

The coconut trees.

The sound and smell of the sea.

A Finnish lake beach cannot completely replace those memories, of course.

But Roukonpuro gave us a little taste of that feeling.

Sand beneath our feet.

Water in front of us.

Our children playing nearby.

Food to share.

And nowhere we needed to rush to.

It may not have been a tropical beach back home, but for one Finnish summer afternoon, this beach did just fine for us.

A Beach Surrounded by Nature

One thing I particularly like about places such as Roukonpuro is that nature remains the main attraction.

Visit Kuhmo describes Roukonpuro as having a long, shallow sandy beach on Ontojärvi and highlights it as one of Kuhmo’s good summer swimming locations.

There are no large buildings dominating the view.

No shopping areas.

No restaurants lining the shore.

Instead, you have the lake, sand, trees, sky, and fresh air.

After spending so many years living in a busy city, I think I’ve learned to appreciate places like this even more.

Sometimes, less really is more.

Returning in June 2026

Less than a year later, we had another reason to return.

In June 2026, my parents were visiting us here in Finland from the Philippines.

Naturally, we wanted to take them to different places around Kuhmo and show them some of the surroundings that had become part of our life here.

Roukonpuro Beach was one of the places we decided to revisit.

It felt nice returning to somewhere familiar while also experiencing it with different people.

Finnish Summer Through My Parents’ Eyes

The weather during our second visit was quite different.

Although it was already June, the day was windy and felt cool, especially for my parents.

And I completely understood why.

They had come from the Philippines, where temperatures are much warmer throughout the year.

What feels like a refreshing Finnish summer day to us can still feel rather cold to someone arriving from a tropical country.

So while we had become somewhat accustomed to the Finnish climate, my parents were still adjusting.

It was funny seeing the difference in how we experienced the same weather.

Too Cold for Swimming This Time

Unlike our August visit, we decided not to swim during this trip.

For us, the water felt too cold.

We were happy simply staying on the shore.

Interestingly, there were still other people swimming farther along the beach.

I suppose that’s another thing we’ve noticed while living here: Finns seem to have a very different relationship with cold water!

For us, looking at the lake was enough that afternoon.

Maybe next time though!

An Afternoon Simply Being Together

We didn’t really do much during our second visit.

And I mean that in the best possible way.

We walked around.

We looked at the water.

We took pictures.

We talked.

We watched our little one enjoy herself.

And we spent the afternoon together with my parents.

There was no schedule we had to follow.

No attraction we needed to rush toward.

No entrance tickets.

No long itinerary.

Just family time beside the lake.

And when I think about it now, that is probably what made the afternoon special.

Seeing Familiar Places Differently

One thing I’ve noticed since starting to revisit places around Kuhmo is that the same destination can give you a completely different experience each time.

During our first visit, Roukonpuro was about summer sunshine, swimming, snacks, and discovering a new place as a family.

During our second visit, it became about sharing our Finnish life with my parents.

Same beach.

Same lake.

But a completely different memory.

I think that’s one of the beautiful things about returning to familiar places.

You aren’t really repeating the same experience.

The weather changes.

The seasons change.

The people with you may change.

Your children grow.

And even you may see the place differently than you did before.

Things to Know Before Visiting Roukonpuro Beach

If you’re planning to visit, Roukonpuro is best enjoyed as a simple nature destination.

The official Visit Kuhmo information says the beach is located west of Kuhmo and has no services or facilities, so it is a good idea to come prepared.

Based on our experience, I would recommend bringing:

Something to drink
Snacks or picnic food
Towels and swimming clothes if you plan to swim
Sunscreen on warm and sunny days
Insect repellent during mosquito season
A light jacket, because even a sunny Finnish summer day can suddenly become cool when the wind picks up
A bag for your rubbish, so you can take everything home and help keep the beach clean

If you’re bringing young children, always keep a close eye on them around the water.

And because this is a natural swimming spot without services, it’s especially important to be prepared and respect the surroundings.

Another Simple Place We’ve Grown to Love

Roukonpuro is probably not a place where you’ll spend an entire day looking at attractions.

But that’s not why we go there.

We go because it is peaceful.

Because there is sand.

Because our children can enjoy the outdoors.

Because sometimes we miss being beside the water.

And because spending an afternoon together doesn’t always need to be complicated.

That is something living in Kuhmo continues to remind us.

Some of our best family moments happen in very simple places.

Final Thoughts

Our visits to Roukonpuro Beach were not grand adventures.

There were no expensive activities, elaborate plans, or famous landmarks waiting for us.

Just a long sandy shoreline, a Finnish lake, fresh air, and our family.

But those are exactly the kinds of places that often become special to us.

Our first visit gave us a beautiful late-summer afternoon when we could swim, enjoy our snacks, and discover another quiet corner of Kuhmo.

Our second visit gave us something different, the opportunity to bring my parents there while they were visiting Finland and simply spend time together by the water.

For someone who grew up surrounded by the beautiful beaches of the Philippines, a Finnish lake beach will always feel different.

And that’s okay.

It doesn’t need to replace what we miss from home.

Instead, it becomes something new.

Another place.

Another experience.

Another memory belonging to this chapter of our lives in Finland.

And I’m sure this won’t be our last visit to Roukonpuro.

Perhaps we’ll return on another warm summer day, bring some food, let the children play, and if the water isn’t too cold for us, go swimming again.

Sometimes, you don’t need to travel very far to feel like you’ve had a little escape.

Sometimes, all you need is sand, water, fresh air, and the people you love beside you.

“Some of the sweetest family memories are made during the simplest days together.”

“The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.” — Psalm 104:12 (NIV)

Living far away from where we grew up sometimes makes us miss familiar things… the food, the weather, the people, and even the beaches we once took for granted.

But life also gives us new places to love.

Roukonpuro may look very different from the tropical beaches of the Philippines, but the feeling of sitting beside the water with family is something that feels familiar no matter where we are.

And maybe that is what matters most.

We may live between different countries, climates, and cultures, but the memories we create together can make almost anywhere feel a little more like home. 🧡

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Explore More Places to Visit in Kuhmo

Kuhmo may be a small town, but there are so many peaceful and beautiful places to discover. From lakes and rivers to walking trails, beaches, cultural landmarks, and quiet family spots, each place has given us a different memory of life here in Finland. If you’re planning to visit Kuhmo, or simply want to see more of the places our family has explored, you can browse our growing collection below.

This list will continue to grow as our family discovers more of Kuhmo. Some places may be well known, while others are simply quiet corners that have become special to us. Either way, I hope these stories help you discover a little more of the beauty of our second home. 🧡

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