35km/22mi from Hanko is Ekenäs (Finnish Tammisaari; pop. 14,7000). The name ("Oak Island") refers to the numbers of oak-trees - rare in Finland - to be seen here. The whole vegetation of the area, in fact, is common to Central European. The old part of the town, with many wooden buildings of the 19th century, is protected as a national monument
The town church is of stone (rebuilt in 1821 after a fire which destroyed its predecessor of 1672).
Ekenäs is noted for the archipelago, which is part of Ekenäs Archipelago National Park, established in 1989.