Narva Blue Lakes

The Sinised järved - the Blue Lakes - are a group of small lakes sitting in sandy pine forest west of Narva. They are fed largely by groundwater through sand, which filters it, and the result is water that reads as pale turquoise over the shallows and deep blue where it drops away. It is the local summer place, and almost unknown to visitors who never get past Tallinn.

What you actually see

Three main lakes and several smaller pools, each ringed by low sandy banks and tall pines. The bottom is clean sand rather than silt, so the water stays clear rather than tea-coloured like most Estonian lakes, and on a bright day the colour genuinely is blue.

There are basic beaches, changing huts and fire sites at the main lake, and paths through the forest linking the others. Away from the main beach it empties out quickly.

When to go

• July and August - warm enough to swim, and the colour is at its strongest under high sun.
• June and September - cold water, empty shore, better light for photographs.
• Winter - frozen, quiet, and the pine forest is the whole attraction.

Honest expectations

The lakes are small. This is a place to spend an afternoon swimming and lying about, not a landscape destination, and the main beach is busy on hot weekends with local families.

Facilities are basic and seasonal. There is no café and no lifeguard.

Nearby

Narva and its castle are twenty minutes east. Narva-Jõesuu beach is a similar distance north, and the Alutaguse forests start just west.