West Estonia and Islands

The West of Estonia and the islands are well known for its Baltic Sea resorts. Administratively, it is defined by the territory of the four counties: Pärnumaa, Lääne County, Hiiumaa and Saaremaa.

Overview

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Photo: Hiiumaamudeliklubi, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Essential Destinations

Top destinations include Saaremaa and Pärnu.

Saaremaa

Photo: Abrget47j, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Saaremaa is the largest Estonian island. It is on the west coast of Estonia. The capital in Saaremaa is Kuressaare, which is covered in a separate article.

Pärnu

Photo: Pudelek, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Pärnu is a resort seaside city with a small harbour in south-western Estonia. The city is known for its spas, shallow white sandy beach and beautiful parks.

Hiiumaa is the second largest island in Estonia and is part of the West Estonian archipelago, in the Baltic Sea. It has an area of 989 km2 and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland. Its largest town is Kärdla. It is located within Hiiu County.

Destinations to Discover

Explore places such as Haapsalu and Ruhnu.

Haapsalu

Photo: Iifar, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee.

Haapsalu is a major seaside resort town on the west coast of Estonia, approximately 100 km south-west of Tallinn.

Ruhnu

Photo: Kasutajatunnus, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee.

Ruhnu is a small island in Estonia, isolated from the rest of the country in the Gulf of Riga. The island is called Runö in Swedish.

Muhu

Photo: Laima Gūtmane (simka…, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Muhu is the third largest island in Estonia, although it is fairly small at 198 square kilometres. It's located between the mainland and Saaremaa Island, to which it is connected by a causeway.

Kihnu

Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Kihnu is an Estonian island in the Baltic Sea. With an area of 16.4 km. There are four villages: Lemsi, Linaküla, Rootsiküla, and Sääre. Kihnu can be reached by plane from Pärnu or by ferry from Manilaid.

Vormsi

Photo: Kristoffer Vaikla, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Vormsi is the fourth-largest island of Estonia, measuring 92 square kilometres and a registered population of around 400. It is located in the Baltic Sea, northwest of the mainland and east of Hiiumaa island, and is part of the West Estonian archipelago.

Vilsandi National Park

Photo: Loodushuviline, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Vilsandi National Park is on and outside Saaremaa, Estonia's largest island. The park includes the island of Vilsandi, 160 other islands and islets, parts of Western Saaremaa and the Harilaid peninsula.

Matsalu National Park

Photo: Abrget47j, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Matsalu National Park is a nature reserve and national park situated in the Lääne and Pärnu counties of Estonia. Matsalu National Park spans an area of 486.1 km2, comprising Matsalu Bay, the Kasari River delta, the village of Matsalu and surrounding areas.