Introducing Western Estonia & the Islands
Southwestern Estonia contains the country's most popular resort town, as well as charming country villages, a vast national park and two remote islands that see few foreign visitors every year.
Perched along a lovely, sandy coastline, Pärnu attracts legions of holidaymakers during the summer. Young partygoers appear from Tallinn and Tartu en route to the city's nightclubs, cafés and restaurants, just as busloads of elderly out-of-towners arrive seeking spa treatments and mud cures. Perhaps owing to the odd mix, Pärnu has a little something for everyone - colourful museums and galleries, boutiques and handicraft markets, good theatre, and amusements for the kids - and plenty of mud baths and drinking spots.
East of Pärnu stretches Soomaa National Park, a biodiverse region of meandering rivers, wooded meadows and swamp forest. Full of wildlife, Soomaa is an excellent place to experience Estonia's natural beauty - whether floating along streams in a dugout canoe or hiking through ancient bogs.
Among the most charming country towns, Viljandi lies just beyond Soomaa. It has a tiny but historic centre, old castle ruins and breathtaking views over a forested valley and the pristine Lake Viljandi. Põltsamaa, another pleasant town in the region, is noted for its pleasant river, old stone church and fragrant rose gardens.
Visitors yearning to get off the beaten path can find peaceful settlements and deserted coastline on the island of Kihnu, one of Estonia's most traditional places. Ruhnu, even tinier and more remote, has a few sandy beaches, an old wooden church and plenty of spots for connecting to the land in that almost spiritual Estonian fashion.
Activities in Western Estonia & the Islands
Saaremaa
Estonia's largest island still lies covered in thick pine and spruce forests, while old windmills, slender lighthouses and tiny villages appear as if unchanged by the passage of time.
Kuressaare
Saaremaa's star attraction, Kuressaare is a picturesque town with peaceful leafy streets, charming guesthouses and cafés, and a magnificent castle rising up in its midst.
Western Estonia & the Islands destination guides
Haapsalu
Set on a fork-shaped peninsula that stretches into Haapsalu Bay, this quaint, peaceful town makes a pleasant stopover en route to the islands.
Hotels in Western Estonia & the Islands
Budget Hotels & Hostels in Western Estonia & the Islands
Guesthouses and B&Bs in Western Estonia & the Islands
The North Coast
At Viki on the road to Kihelkonna, about 30km from Kuressaare, a 19th-century farm has been preserved as the Mihkli Farm Museum (Talumuuseum; adult/concession 15/10Kr; 10am-6pm).
Need to know
Entertainment in Western Estonia & the Islands
Matsalu National Park
The harbour village of Kõrgessaare, 20km west of Kärdla, offers little by way of distractions except a quaint restaurant and guesthouse on your way westward.
Shopping in Western Estonia & the Islands