Närpes (Finnish: Närpiö) is a town in Ostrobothnia, Finland.

Understand

Fields by Närpes centre

Närpes is the Tomato Capital of Finland. In the greenhouses all around the local people grow the main harvest of Finnish tomatoes all year around. If you buy Finnish tomatoes in any supermarket in Finland, chances are they come from here. And people are proud of that fact. Otherwise this place is spread out over a large forest area and you need a car to get around. There is also a significant archipelago, much of which is protected as the Kaldonskär–Södra Björkön shore protection programme and the Närpes archipelago Natura 2000 area; there are also many smaller nature reserves.

Mergers have caused Närpes to have several centres and for many people's identity, their own village is important. Övermark is 16 km north-north-east of Närpes centre by Vasavägen (road 6760) or E8, Pörtom an additional 12 km. These are part of the agricultural landscape along Närpes å. Nämpnäs is 8 km towards the coast, Norrnäs 7 km northwards from it, Töjby an additional 11 km farther north. These latter are on Strandvägen ("the coast road", road 673). Pjelax is 10 km south from Närpes centre.

The Finnish-speaking minority in Närpes is tiny, and little Finnish is spoken by the majority, so "survival sentences" in Finnish aren't worth the trouble. The town has its own, ancient Swedish dialect, so understanding the local lingo can be a real challenge even for native Swedish-speakers, although most locals change to standard Swedish when talking to non-Ostrobothnians.

The flourishing agriculture has led to significant immigration from far away (including former Yugoslavia and Vietnam), and the town is an example of successful integration, with some 17% talking foreign languages as mother tongue.

Get in

By car

Närpes lies on national road 8 (E8), Näpes centre 5 km west of it, Övermark 2 km and Pörtom at the junction of E8 and Vasavägen (former road 8), on which these other main centres lie.

To reach the centre, coming from the north (Vaasa/Vasa) or south (Pori/Björneborg), take E8 and then transfer to route 673 and 676 to reach Närpes. Coming from the east, take route 67 instead of E8. There are also smaller coastal roads from Kristinestad (Skrattnäsvägen to Pjelax, then Kristinestadsvägen) and Vaasa (Strandvägen, road 673, via Malax and Korsnäs, and then Töjby and Nämpnäs before reaching Närpes centre).

By bus

Buses from Vaasa and Pori stop in Närpes, as does the Flixbus service from Warsaw via Helsinki and Turku to Vaasa. Ingsva has some regional routes. The Onnibus service between Turku and Oulu stops at the highway crossroads (Närpiö th).

Get around

Boats near Skrattnäs

A car is really needed to get around the distances.

Matkahuolto and Opas.matka.fi include some of the bus services to the countryside. The service line offers dial-a-ride service.

By taxi

• Ingsva Taxi, ☏ +358 400-261-058. (updated Jun 2022)
• HTR Taxi, ☏ +358 44 012 1803. (updated Jun 2024)
• TAXI KEJA Palvelut Oy, ☏ +358 40 036 6730. (updated Jun 2024)

By boat

• Henrik Backa, ☏ +358 40-592-9500. Boat for 12 passengers, babies not counted. 

See

Öjskogsparken in Närpes

• 1 Närpes kyrka, Kyrkvägen 19 (in the south-west end of the centre), ☏ +358 40-505-5377, per-erik.bjorklund@evl.fi. Originally built in medieval times, but enlarged over the centuries. The current look is from the late 19th century. It is surrounded by over 150 small log houses, which were built as stables so local people travelling all the way to Sunday church could keep them safe. Free.  
• 2 Pörtom kyrka, Centrumvägen 12 (Pörtom), ☏ +358 45-200-7889, johan.nordlund@evl.fi. Church built 1783. 
• 3 Öjskogsparken, Kyrkvägen 23 (350 m past Närpes church along Strandvägen), ☏ +358 40-505-5377. Open air museum area with over 20 historical houses to discover allowing a great insight into 19th-century countryside life. Step inside a traditional country shop, learn about wedding traditions and don't miss the pharmacy museum. (updated May 2017)
• 4 Övermark kyrka, Korsnäsvägen 1 (Övermark), ☏ +358 45-200-7889, johan.nordlund@evl.fi. Church built 1875–1878, when Övermark became an independent parish (since 2014 a chapel of Närpes). Free.  

Do

The Tomato Carnival in 1993

The summer theatre, 1993

• 1 Gåshällan (on the boating route from the Fagerö marina of Rangsby to the open sea, 10 km from Fagerö). Island in the Natura 2000 area of the outer archipelago. Jetty and anchorage, nature trail, sauna. The former coast guard station is now a rental cabin (see Sleep below). The sturdier southern pier has a voluntary fee. The nature is fragile, be respectful. Voluntary harbour fee €10/boat; sauna fee €20/boat. 
• 2 Fagerö Folkpark, Björkgrundsvägen 1 (Rangsby), ☏ +358 6 225-2666, +358 40-687-4106, info@fagero.fi. Beach, miniature golf, beach volley, SUP rental etc. Summer restaurant (Restaurang Seaside). Occasional dances and other events. Marina. 

Events

• The Tomato Carnival (Tomatkarnevalen) is held every year in July.

Buy

Tomatoes and cucumbers. There is other industry too, but you don't want to pack a bed or a lorry trailer as souvenir, and the furs are mostly sewn elsewhere.

Check for yourself though.

Eat

• 1 Bistro Café & Catering, Algotsvägen 2, ☏ +358 40-357-5232, bistro.narpes@gmail.com. M–F 11:00–14:30. Lunch buffet and catering services. 
• 2 Citygrillen, Närpesvägen 17 (by the market square). M–Th 12:00–22:00 F–Sa 12:00–24:00 Su 12:00–21:00. Grill fare; soft ice in summer. 
• 3 Linds kök, Bäcklidvägen 476, ☏ +358 40-510-8124, info@lindskok.fi. Late Jun–mid Aug M–Sa 11:00–15:00 Su 12:00–15:00; in winter by agreement. Greenhouse restaurant. Lunch in season, lunch or dinner for groups (and those timing with groups). 
• Matstugan (at Närpes Servicecenter). M–F 11:00–13:30. 
• 4 O'Neil's Kitchen, Simhallsvägen 4, ☏ +358 6 224-1933, +358 40-960-5028, info@oneils.fi. M–F 11:00–14:30 F 17:00–20:00. 
• 5 Pizzeria Casa, Närpesvägen 34, ☏ +358 6 224-1809, info@pizzeriacasa.fi. M–Th 11:00–22:00 F–Sa 11:00–21:00 Su 12:00–20:00. Pizzeria. 
• 6 Pjelax handelsbod, Bäcklidvägen 6A (Pjelax), ☏ +358 6 225-9148. Lunch M–F. Store. Also lunch. (updated Oct 2023)
• 7 La Taverna, Närpesvägen 10, ☏ +358 6 224-2109, kent@lataverna.fi. M–W 14:00–21:00 Th 11:00–21:00 Sa 12:00–01:00 Su closed; other times by agreement. €20–30. 
• Viet's restaurang, ☏ +358 40-189-1122. M–F 11:00–15:00 Sa 09:00–15:00 Su closed. Vietnamese restaurant. 

Drink

• 1 Cornelia, Vasavägen 10, ☏ +358 45-855-5433, info@cornelia.fi. Tu–F 10:00–17:00 Sa 10:00–14:00 Su M closed; evening open for groups by agreement. Lifestyle shop with café in 19th century building with garden. Private museum. Clothes and interior design. 
• Glasstrutin (by the market square), ☏ +358 40-705-8890, info@rentachef.fi. M–Su 10:00–21:00 (in fine weather). Ice cream of the local Närpes glassfabrik. 
• 2 Närpes Bageri, Närpesvägen 35, ☏ +358 45-898-8660. M–F 08:00–17:00 Sa 09:00–13:00 Su closed. Bakery. Café. 

Sleep

• Gåshällans hyresstuga (Gåshällan, see Do above). Former coast guard station with capacity for 20–25 persons in four bedrooms. Also a small cottage four two, without kitchen. Carry out your waste. Rowing boat at disposal. Sauna is included, but other visitors to the island must be allowed to use it too. Use own linens or sleeping bags. Main building €75/€160 for groups of 1–9 and 10+ people; small cottage €20. 
• 1 Hotel Red and Green, Närpesvägen 16, ☏ +358 6 823-8400. Lunch 11:00–14:00. €140, pet +€15; lunch €12.70, pensioners €11; à la carte €25–30, children €10. 
• 2 Närpes yrkesakademi, Ängskullsvägen 1, ☏ +358 50-402-4181, sommarhotell@yrkesakademin.fi. Summer hotel (Jun–Jul) in student apartments. 
• Strandkulla stugor, Skrattnäsvägen 700 (Pjelax), ☏ +358 50-313-8690, strandkulla@gmail.com. Cottages. Own kitchen, shower, beach and rowing boat. Electricity. Available year round, in summer week-by-week only. 
• 3 Tjärlax stugby och camping, Tjärlaxvägen 396, ☏ +358 6 225-0710, hg.backman@gmail.com. Cottages and camping. Beach, sauna, barbecue site, hiking trail. Toilets, showers and kitchen in separate buildings. 
• 4 Villa Elvira, Börsskärsvägen 350 (Fridskär, Nämpnäs), ☏ +358 50-588-4841, susanna.abacka@slef.fi. Cottage at a Christian camp centre. (updated Oct 2023)
• 5 Övermark bed and breakfast, Vasavägen 1488 (Övermark), ☏ +358 40-636-1353, info@overmarkbnb.fi. €86. 

Respect

Don't go into animal rights. Fur farming is big, and also your views on chicken raising and the like might be better not shared with the locals.

There was a scandal surfaced in 2022 about abuse of immigrant labour, in court as of 2023. Tread lightly. While it concerned several businesses, the overwhelming majority of immigrants have been well integrated.

Go next

To Kaskinen (Kaskö), an idyllic harbour town, an enclave of Närpes and the smallest town of Finland; a fusion was discussed in 2019 but turned down by the voters in Kaskö.

Routes through Närpes

Oulu ← Vaasa ←

N  S

→ Kristinestad → Pori