The perfect place for anyone seeking rural peace, Estonia’s second-largest island Hiuumaa is also one of its most sparsely populated. While its natural beauty is on a par with that of neighbouring island Saaremaa, it has experienced far less tourist development. Hiiumaa’s thin, sandy soil has never supported much in the way of agriculture, so most of the island remains covered by virgin pine forest, peat bogs and shrubby heathland, habitats favoured by elk, boar and deer.

The picturesque coastline is dotted with isolated lighthouses, deserted beaches and inviting nature trails, perfect for leisurely exploration.

Main settlement is the sleepy fishing village of Kärdla, north of which the Tahkuna peninsula offers the island’s finest sandy beach at Tõrvanina Bay, popular with windsurfers and wild campers in summer.

Kassari & Sääre Tirp

At the southeastern end of the island are the conifer-covered heathlands of Kassari, technically a separate island in its own right but joined to the rest of Hiiumaa by causeway. Kassari village is an appealing combination of wooden houses and tumbledown barns nesting among thickets of juniper. Beyond the village is Sääre Tirp, a desolate-looking shingle promontory that stretches eerily out to sea.

Practical Info

Ferries run from Rohuküla on the mainland to Heltermaa on Hiiumaa’s eastern tip 5-8 times daily.

Info on timetables and tickets is available on ferry company Praamid’s website