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

• The dolomite ground - flat to gently rolling country, with alvar meadow where thin soil sits directly on rock.
• The vegetation - juniper heath, pine and mixed forest, and a coastline alternating between stony shore and reed.
• The building tradition - stone walls and thatched roofs still common, and more windmills per square kilometre than anywhere else in the country.
• Kuressaare - the only real town, at the southern end with its castle and spa hotels, the rest of the island being villages, farms and long empty roads.

When to go

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

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.