Saaremaa

Saaremaa is around 2,700 square kilometres, which makes it larger than several European countries' island holdings put together, and the mainland has always regarded it as its own place. The Soviet border zone kept it closed for decades, which is a large part of why so much of it survived unchanged.

What you actually see

Flat to gently rolling country on a bed of dolomite: juniper heath, alvar meadow where thin soil sits directly on rock, pine and mixed forest, and a coastline that alternates between stony shore and reed. Stone walls and thatched roofs are still common, and there are more windmills per square kilometre than anywhere else in the country.

Kuressaare, the only real town, sits at the southern end with its castle and spa hotels. The rest of the island is villages, farms and long empty roads.

When to go

• June to August - full ferry schedule, warm sea, everything open, and the busiest weeks in July.
• May and September - the island at its best, with light and space and no queue for the ferry.
• Winter - very quiet, some ferries disrupted by ice, and most visitor businesses closed.

Honest expectations

The ferry is the bottleneck. In July and August vehicle places sell out well in advance, and turning up without a booking can cost hours.

Distances are longer than the map suggests and public transport is sparse. Without a car or a bike you will be limited to Kuressaare and its immediate surroundings.

Nearby

Muhu island, which you cross on the way in, has the Koguva village museum and is worth a stop rather than a drive-through. Hiiumaa is reachable by a separate ferry from the north of the island.