Renting a cottage in Raattama, what to know before you book

If you are looking for a cottage, a cabin or a holiday home near Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, this page collects the practical questions our guests ask before booking. We are Kirsi and Mika, and we own and look after both of the cabins below ourselves.

The two cabins

Villa Tupasvilla is a 72 m² log cabin in Raattama village, on its own plot on a quiet private road. Two bedrooms, a wood-fired sauna, a kitchen with a dishwasher, a washing machine, wifi and a workspace. The ski trails and the village shop are 500 m away and Pallastunturi is 25 km. Tupasvilla also has a heat pump, which means air conditioning in summer.

Saivo is a lakeside cabin on Saivojärvi, 10 km from the village, named after the lake it stands on. A small bedroom downstairs and two beds on the loft, a wood-fired sauna, a kitchen with a dishwasher, wifi, a smart TV and a drying cabinet for outdoor clothes. The national park and the nearest ski trail begin 500 m from the door. The stairs to the loft are steep and have no gate, which is worth knowing with small children.

Both cabins sleep four. Both have four pairs of snowshoes for guests in winter, and Saivo has sleds for children and a rowing boat in summer.

What is included

Linen and towels are included at both cabins. The kitchens have basic tableware, a coffee maker, a kettle, a toaster, a microwave and a dishwasher, and there is a hairdryer. Sauna firewood is ready when you arrive, and we show you how to heat the stove at check-in. A cot and a high chair are available on request at no charge. Phone reception and wifi work well in both cabins.

Booking, check-in and check-out

Both cabins are booked through Airbnb, and the cabin pages on this site take you straight to the listing with your dates filled in. Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out by 12:00; we are flexible if you ask.

Cleaning

Final cleaning is the guest's own responsibility. If you would rather not, we will happily do it for a cleaning fee of 100 €.

Pets and smoking

Pets are welcome at Saivo. At Tupasvilla it depends on the situation, so ask us before booking. Smoking is not allowed indoors at either cabin; outside is fine, and cigarette ends go in a jar, not on the ground.

The surroundings

Raattama is a small village with one shop, open all year (Monday to Friday 10–17, Saturday 10–15), which also sells fuel. The bigger supermarket is in Muonio, 45 km from Tupasvilla and 55 km from Saivo. Kittilä airport is about 80 km from Tupasvilla and 90 km from Saivo, and you will want a car: public transport is scarce, and winter tyres, preferably studded, are a must. Four-wheel drive is not needed.

In winter the reindeer are home at our farm from November to March and you can visit us for a feeding. The ski trails are maintained from December to April and at their best from February to April. In summer the national park's marked hiking trails are the main attraction, and from early May to the end of July it is light through the night.

The honest part

This is a quiet place. There are few organised activities in the village itself, though plenty within a 30 to 60 minute drive. If you want restaurants, nightlife and ski lifts on your doorstep, Levi is an hour away and better suited. If you want a cabin with your own sauna, a lake or a forest outside the window, and reindeer down the road, this is the right place.

Anything not answered here, email or call us. We are usually nearby.